Study on the effect of medicinal leech therapy (Hirudo medicinalis) on full-thickness excisional wound healing in the animal model

Amir Zakian; Hamid Amir Ahmadi; Mehdi Hosseini Keleshteri; Amir Madani; Meysam Tehrani-Sharif; Annahita Rezaie; Farshid Davoodi; Ghasem Farjani Kish; Abbas Raisi; Matin Taghipour Langerudi; Milad Babaii Moghadam Pasha

doi:10.1016/j.rvsc.2022.10.015

Study on the effect of medicinal leech therapy (Hirudo medicinalis) on full-thickness excisional wound healing in the animal model

Res Vet Sci. 2022 Dec 31:153:153-168. doi: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2022.10.015. Epub 2022 Oct 29.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran. Electronic address: amir.zakian7@gmail.com.
² DVM, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Islamic Azad University, Garmsar Branch, Semnan, Iran.
³ Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Islamic Azad University, Garmsar Branch, Semnan, Iran.
⁴ Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Iran.
⁵ Resident in Veterinary Surgery, Department of Surgery and Diagnostic Imaging, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran.
⁶ Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran.
⁷ Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran.
⁸ DVM, Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Islamic Azad University, Shabestar Branch, Shabestar, Iran.
⁹ DVM, Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Islamic Azad University, Babol Branch, Babol, Iran.

PMID: 36395588
DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2022.10.015

Abstract

The possible impacts of alternative and conventional medicines on wound healing are now of growing interest. This study aimed to evaluate and elucidate the wound healing activity of medicinal leech therapy in wound excision of the rat model. After a round, full-thickness excision was made in the dorsal region of the body, the animals (n = 30) were randomly divided into three equal groups: I) the treatment group (MLT), where the wounds received leech treatment; II) the positive control group (PC), where the wounds received 1% sodium phenytoin treatment; and III) the negative control group (NC), where the wounds did not receive any treatment. On days 6 and 16, wound biopsy specimens were taken, and prepared sections were stained using various methods. The contraction rate differed significantly (P < 0.05) between the NC group and the other groups. The histopathological evaluation revealed that MLT group showed an accelerated healing process and lower inflammatory response compared to other groups. In ML-treated group maturation and remodeling of collagen had occurred, while in 1% sodium phenytoin treated group, proliferation was the prominent feature. Results showed that the fibroblast was significantly lower in the NC group in comparison to other groups. The number of MNC^, s, and PMN^, s was significantly higher in the NC group compared to other groups (P < 0.0001). In our study, medicinal leech therapy had a higher success rate in healing for the treatment of excisional wounds in animal models.

Keywords: Animal model; Excisional; Hirudo medicinalis; Leech therapy; Wound healing.