Effects of Ellagic Acid on Intranasal Wound Injury

Abstract

. Our aim in this study is to investigate the effect of ellagic acid (EA) in intranasal wound injury. Thirty rats were categorized into three groups. Control group: no surgical procedure was applied to the animals in this group. Wound group: The animals in this group were exposed to intranasal wound injury. Wound+EA group: The animals in this group were exposed to intranasal wound protocol. 50 mg/kg EA was administered animals for 1 week. Malondialdehyde (MDA), Myeloperoxidase (MPO) and Glutathione (GSH) level were measured. Hematoxylin Eosin, TNF-alpha and Caspase-1 immunostaining was applied to nasal tissues. MDA, MPO, inflammation and leukocyte infiltration, TNF-alpha and Caspase-1 immune activity were high in wound group compared to control group. GSH and epithelization were statistically lower in wound group than in control group. EA treatment lowered MDA, MPO values and increased GSH content. EA improved histopathological scores. Histopathological findings showed that control group had regular nasal mucosa was and structures. Wound led to degeneration of cells and increased inflammation. In wound+EA, EA treatment restored the pathologies. In control group, TNF-alpha expression was mainly negative. Wound process caused increase of TNF-alpha expression in inflammatory cells, in endothelial cells, in goblet cells and connective tissue. After EA treatment, TNF-alpha expression was reduced in the wound+EA group. In control group, Caspase-1 expression was negative. In the wound group, Caspase-1 expression increased in respiratory epithelial cells, connective tissue cells and osteocytes. In wound+EA group, EA treatment reduced Caspase-1 expression. After wound, TNF-alpha is an important cytokine in determining neutrophil and macrophage activity and determines the direction of Caspase activity, and this regulation decreases downstream with the application of ellagic acid.