Potential Curative Role of Hypericum Perforatum in an Experimental Rat Model of Tympanic Membrane Perforation

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:Our aim was to investigate the curative role of topical Hypericum perforatum (HP) in a rat model of tympanic membrane perforation in a histopathological manner. MATERIALS AND METHODS:This study was conducted on 30 female Sprague-Dawley rats. An HP extract was prepared as a suspension in pure olive oil. In all rats, the right and left tympanic membranes were perforated by a fine puncture under a microscope. Rats were randomly assigned to three groups. The HP extract was given as drops on a daily basis in Group 1, while olive oil alone was given on a daily basis in Group 2. In Group 3, the rats were allowed spontaneous recovery without any intervention. Three rats from each group were sacrificed on days 7, 14, and 21. Temporal bullae were removed for histopathological examination to evaluate fibroblast proliferation, leukocyte infiltration, neovascularization, and subepithelial thickness and to compare these among the groups. RESULTS:In histopathological examination of the rats from each group on days 7, 14, and 21, there were significant differences in leukocyte infiltration, fibroblast proliferation, and subepithelial thickness. No significant difference was observed in neovascularization among the groups. CONCLUSION:Compared with the spontaneous recovery group, HP was found to be more effective in a wound-healing model of the tympanic membrane. HP may be applied in clinical practice if it is shown to be safe with regard to ototoxicity. comfortable and practical treatment protocol. In attempts to find a way for a better solution of this problem, experimental wound models on the tympanic membrane of rats have been applied and the results published. Previous studies have revealed the positive and negative effects of various agents on the healing of tympanic membranes, including hyaluronic acid, epidermal growth factor, transforming growth factor, platelet-derived growth factor, and platelet-rich plasma [10][11][12][13] . KEYWORDS:To the best of our knowledge, there are no data showing that HP has been used for healing tympanic membranes.Therefore, we aimed to assess the effect of HP olive oil extract on the wound-healing process in experimentally perforated tympanic membranes of rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS AnimalsThis study was conducted on 30 female Sprague-Dawley rats aged ≥6 weeks, weighing 200-300 g. The rats were fed with standard rat pellet and tap water ad libitum. Rats were housed in separate cages (five rats per cage) under standard conditions at a temperature of 21°C and maintaining a 12-hour dark-light cycle. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee on Animal Experiment and Research (2013-13/ 112). Experimental ProcedureHypericum perforatum was harvested from rural areas of Adana Province in July and then dried. In the laboratory, 50 g of dry HP was weighed. The weighed HP was immersed in 500 cc of olive oil in glass jars and left in the sunshine over 4 weeks until the occurrence of a red coloration. There is also a traditional recipe for this: "the content of the jar should be exposed ...

Does Hypericum Perforatum Have Inflammatory or Anti-Inflammatory Effects?

“…It was shown that the systemic effect of the oily solution of HP is similar to that of its topical form. However, only the topical form of HP was used in the study by Yaşar et al [3] , in which the number of leucocyte, neovascularization, and fibroblasts, which are the findings of acute inflammation, was higher than that in previous studies in which anti-inflammatory effects of HP were shown [3] .…”

“…They reported that an increase in leukocyte counts enables matrix metalloproteinases to promote re-epithelization and remodeling and that an increase in fibroblasts promotes collagen synthesis and wound healing. They also indicated that their study on the potential curative role of HP in the healing of TM perforation was the first in the literature [3] . However, in the study by Eğilmez et al [4] published in July 2015, the effect of HP on myringosclerosis and the healing of TM perforations in all animals was evaluated, and it was also found that the rate of myringosclerosis in the lamina proprias of TMs is lower because of the high anti-inflammatory activity of HP.…”

“…Active ingredients, such as hypericin and hyperforin, inhibit the production of the proinflammatory mediators, such as IL-10, TNF-α, and PGE2, and produce antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects [2] . In a study by Yaşar et al [3] that was recently published in your journal, the role of HP in the healing of perforated tympanic membranes (TMs) was investigated, and it was found that leukocyte count, neovascularization, and fibroblast proliferation were statistically significantly high in the group in which HP was used with olive oil solution and that fibrotic activity and collagen production increased wound healing at the perforation site. They reported that an increase in leukocyte counts enables matrix metalloproteinases to promote re-epithelization and remodeling and that an increase in fibroblasts promotes collagen synthesis and wound healing.…”

Immediate and mid-term effect of a natural topical product in patients with musculoskeletal pain: randomized, double-blinded, and placebo-controlled clinical trial

“…Arnica montana reduces pain, has anti-inflammatory effects and potentiates tissue repair [29,30]. Hypericum perforatum provides anti-inflammatory effect and drives tissue regeneration and scarring [31][32][33][34]. Calendula officinalis reduces swelling and distension, boosts healing of mild injuries and prevents infection [35][36][37][38].…”

The Dorsal Skinfold Chamber as a New Tympanic Membrane Wound Healing Model: Intravital Insights into the Pathophysiology of Epithelialized Wounds

“…Laceration of rodent tympanic membranes leads to regular spontaneous closure within weeks [ 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 ]. Therefore, various methods of mechanical and biochemical attenuation of spontaneous closure have been reported (e.g., thermal myringotomies, epithelialized flaps, and topical mitomycin/corticoid) [ 3 , 18 , 32 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 ]. Still, the resulting defect size is not standardized, and wound attenuation may interfere with wound treatment.…”