EXPRESSION OF VASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL GROWTH FACTOR DURING HEALING OF EXTRACTION SOCKETS IN DIABETIC RATS

Abstract

Introduction: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is one such candidate. It functions as an endothelial cell mitogen, chemotactic agent, and inducer of vascular permeability. Other angiogenic growth factors such as basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) have been described, but VEGF is unique for its effects on multiple components of the wound healing cascade, including angiogenesis and recently shown epithelization and collagen deposition. VEGF is produced by many cell types that participate in wound healing: endothelial cells, fibroblasts,smooth muscle cells, platelets, neutrophils, and macrophages. . Objectives: To evaluate the expression of VEGF during healing of extracted sockets in diabetic rats. Materials and methods: 24 adult male rats aged about 6 months and weighing about 250 gms were divided into 2 groups; Group I (12 rats) non diabetic and Group II (12 rats) diabetic. For study group, the rats were fasted overnight and diabetes was induced by a single intra peritoneal injection of streptozotocin 60 mg/kg body weight in 0.1 M citrate buffer. All animals, were exposed to surgical wounds (extracted lower right first molar). They were sacrificed as follows 4 rats from each group at intervals of 3 days, 7 days, 21 days after extraction for immunohistochemical study. Results: In the present study, immunohistochemical expression of VEGF was detected as brown cytoplasmic reaction. All the examined cases showed positive results for VEGF with different scores. Conclusions: these results demonstrated the expression of VEGF in diabetic rats during healing of extraction sockets significantly higher than control group in late periods.