Use of chitosan gels of different molecular weights in correcting critical rat calvarial defects: histological analysis

• Grant number: 07/00148-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2007
• End date: December 31, 2007
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Dentistry - Periodontology
• Principal Investigator: Elcio Marcantonio Junior
• Grantee: Chaine Pavone
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia (FOAr). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araraquara. Araraquara , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Scientific interest in new biomaterials that could be associated to other biologically active substances to enhance tissue regeneration has grown in the last decades. An area of intense research is the search for natural polymers, such as chitosan, a hydrofilic biopolymer obtained from chitin, present in insects and shellfish exoskeletons, which have shown potential in bone formation. The aim of this proposal is to make a histologic evaluation of two different molecular weight Chitosan gels repairing critical-size bone defects in the calvaria of rats. An 8 mm diameter defect will be surgically created in the calvaria of 30 Holtzman rats (Rattus Norvegicus) and these animals will be randomly divided into 3 experimental groups: blod clot, Low molecular weight Chitosan gel, and High mollecular weight in regenerative Chitosan gel. Five animals of each group will be killed in two experimental periods, 15 and 60 days. The histologic descriptive evaluation will be performed in decalcified paraffin-embedded serial sections appropriately stained (H/E and Masson’s tri-chromic), determining the morphologic characteristics of the new formed tissues in the area were biomaterials were used, showing alterations in the regenerative process caused by them. (AU)