Macroscopic effect of lipoic acid in skin injury in the model of diabetes mellitus induced by alloxan in rats

Objective: Evaluate the macroscopic effect of lipoic acid on skin lesion in rats with alloxan-induced diabetes mellitus model. Material and Methods: For diabetes induction, Wistar albino rats received Alloxan at 50mg/kg. After 72 hours, the glycemia was verified to confirm diabetes; animals with values below 250mg/dl were discarded. After the diagnosis, surgical excision of a skin fragment was performed with a 7 mm punch. Following the procedure, the animals were divided into three groups containing five animals each, which received: oral distilled water and cellulose (control) or Alpha-Lipoic Acid (ALA) (100mg/kg or 200mg/kg) for 1, 7 or 14 days of treatment. At the end of each treatment period, a evaluation of the following parameters was performed: infection; hyperemic halo around the wound; crust formation; necrotic border, bleeding background and measurement of contraction percentage. Results: The ALA treatment reduced, in both doses, the crusts formation in the stipulated periods for evaluation. While ALA 100mg/kg increased the contraction percentage of the lesion at all times studied. A similar results was obtained with ALA 200mg/kg after 7 or 14 days of treatment. Conclusion: ALA presented satisfactory results in the healing process of wounds in diabetic rats.