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• Neto, L
• Pinto, L
• Bastos, R
• Evaristo, F
• Vasconcelos, M
• Carneiro, V
• Arruda, F
• Porto, A
• Leal, R
• Júnior, V
• Cavada, B
• Teixeira, E
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• Neto, L
• Pinto, L
• Bastos, R
• Evaristo, F
• Vasconcelos, M
• Carneiro, V
• Arruda, F
• Porto, A
• Leal, R
• Júnior, V
• Cavada, B
• Teixeira, E
• [+] on PubMed
• Neto, L
• Pinto, L
• Bastos, R
• Evaristo, F
• Vasconcelos, M
• Carneiro, V
• Arruda, F
• Porto, A
• Leal, R
• Júnior, V
• Cavada, B
• Teixeira, E

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Molecules 2011, 16(11), 9298-9315; doi:10.3390/molecules16119298

Article

Effect of the Lectin of Bauhinia variegata and Its Recombinant Isoform on Surgically Induced Skin Wounds in a Murine Model

Luiz Gonzaga do Nascimento Neto ¹ , Luciano da Silva Pinto ² , Rafaela Mesquita Bastos ¹ , Francisco Flávio Vasconcelos Evaristo ¹ , Mayron Alves de Vasconcelos ⁴ , Victor Alves Carneiro ¹ , Francisco Vassiliepe Sousa Arruda ¹ , Ana Lúcia Figueiredo Porto ^3,† , Rodrigo Bainy Leal ^5,† , Valdemiro Amaro da Silva Júnior ^3,† , Benildo Sousa Cavada ^4,†  and Edson Holanda Teixeira ^1,†,*

¹ Integrated Laboratory of Biomolecules (LIBS), School of Medicine of the Federal University of Ceará, Sobral, Ceará 62042-280, Brazil ² Center for Technological Development (CDTec), Unidad of Biotecnology, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, 96010-900, Brazil ³ Department of Animal Morphology and Physiology, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco 52171-900, Brazil ⁴ Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará 60451-970, Brazil ⁵ Department of Biochemistry, CBB, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Santa Catarina 88040-970, Brazil ^† Holder of a scholarship from the CNPq Program for Productivity in Research.

* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received: 22 September 2011; in revised form: 20 October 2011 / Accepted: 27 October 2011 / Published: 7 November 2011

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Abstract: Lectins are a structurally heterogeneous group of highly specific carbohydrate-binding proteins. Due to their great biotechnological potential, lectins are widely used in biomedical research. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the healing potential of the lectin of Bauhinia variegata (nBVL) and its recombinant isoform (rBVL-1). Following surgical creation of dorsal skin wounds, seven groups of mice were submitted to topical treatment for 12 days with lectin, D-galactose, BSA and saline. The animals were anesthetized and euthanized on POD 2, 7 and 12 in order to evaluate the healing potential of each treatment. The parameters considered included wound size, contraction rate, epithelialization rate and histopathological findings. Wound closure was fastest in animals treated with rBVL-1 (POD 7). nBVL was more effective than the controls. All skin layers were reconstructed and keratin deposition increased. Our findings indicate that the lectin of Bauhinia variegata possesses pro-healing properties and may be employed in the treatment of acute skin wounds.

Keywords: wound healing; legume lectins; Caesalpinoideae; Bauhinia variegata

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