MECHANISM OF WOUND-HEALING INDUCED BY CHITOSAN IN STREPTOZOTOCIN-DIABETIC RATS

Diabetes mellitus is a common metabolic disorder associated with many pathological conditions. Prolonged or incomplete wound healing is one among them. This is due to poor blood circulation, alterations in circ ulating constituents, abnormal platelet aggregation and decreased fibr inolytic activity. The aim of the present study was to envisage the ro le of chitosan in wound healing and to investigate its effect in norma lizing the aggregation pattern of platelets in diabetes. At very low c oncentrations, chitosan has no effect on platelet aggregation, while h igh concentrations can aggregate the platelets. Chitosan is not capabl e of reversing the increased rate of aggregation in diabetic platelets . The number of platelets which may affect the normal clotting process were also significantly lower in diabetic rats. Chitosan was found to be a good wound-healing agent, even though it does not reverse the al tered platelet aggregation. Chitosan may be enhancing wound healing by some other mechanism independent of its effect on platelet aggregatio n.