Efeito do selante de fibrina heterólogo associado ao exercício aquático no processo de reparo tendíneo em ratas

Abstract

Acute rupture of the calcaneus tendon is a very common type of injury, its increasing is generally related to sports practices. Its treatment is a controversial topic, involving several methods, conservative and surgical. These techniques can trigger problems that harms their complete regeneration. Currently, several studies have been carried out looking for new therapies to provide a low-cost fast tissue repair and reduced negative effects on population health conditions. Among different approaches, biomaterials have presented an excellent alternative for this regeneration process. Fibrin sealant derived from snake venom (SFDVS) has been used successfully in different surgical methods, both in animal’s and humans’ models, due to its hemostatic and adhesive potential. Aquatic exercise is one of the therapeutic strategies for rehabilitation, it consists of physical exercises to improve muscle properties, helping to reduce pain and edema, stimulating the repair process. Thus, the present study aimed to value the use of SFDVS associated or not with aquatic exercise as a form of treatment in the process of repair of the calcaneus tendon of rats. For this, 84 rats of the Wistar strain underwent surgical induction with partial transection of the calcaneus tendon. The animals were randomly divided into four treatment groups and subdivided into three periods (7.14 and 21 days) containing 7 animals in each: Control (L); SFDVS (LS); and aquatic exercise (LE); SFDVS associated with aquatic exercise (LSE). The volume of edema was evaluated 24 h, 7, 14 and 21 days after the surgical procedure. Histological sections of the calcaneus tendon were evaluated for quantification of collagen (Masson's Trichrome and Picrosirius Red) and pathological changes by the analysis of slides stained with HE. The Bonar score was used to evaluate cell morphology, cellularity, vascularization and accumulation of fundamental substance. The comparison between the experimental groups was performed using Kruskal-Wallis and ANOVA tests, with a significance level of 0.05. A greater reduction in animal edema was observed from the seventh day on in all treatments (p < 0.002), when compared to the control group. After 7 and 14 days of treatment, the LE presented the greatest reduction in the volume of edema (p = 0.03041) compared to the control. After 21 days of treatment (LS) it was the one that presented the greatest reduction of edema compared to the control group. By quantifying collagen, it was possible to verify an increase in its concentration for LSE not the period evaluated after 21 days of treatment. Histopathological analysis using Bonar score showed a significant improvement in histopathological characteristics in tendons of animals treated with (LSE21), presenting statistically lower score values when compared to the other groups. Thus, the SFDVS associated with aquatic exercise positively influenced the repair of the calcaneus tendon, becoming a promising treatment for future clinical applications.