Effect of 5 sildenafil citrate gel application on collagen density and epithelial thickness in secondary healing of the palate excision wound- An In-Vivo study on Wistar rats

Introduction: Palatoplasty is a treatment to repair a cleft palate, the most common congenital deformity in infants. Some palatoplasty techniques result in exposed bone on the lateral palate that heals with secondary healing and increases scar tissue formation. Sildenafil citrate (SS) is a phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor that inhibits cyclic guanyl monophosphate degradation and increases nitric oxide. Sildenafil has been shown to have a positive effect on wound healing. This study aimed to determine the effect of topical application of SS 5 gel on collagen density and epithelial thickness in secondary healing of palate excision wounds. Materials and Methods: Thirty Wistar rats were grouped by observation time (days 3, 5, and 7) and by the gel application material used (SS 5 gel and carbopol gel). Palate excision wounds were made with a 2-mm diameter punch biopsy. Trichrome Mallory staining was performed to observe collagen density, while epithelial thickness was observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. Results: The two-way ANOVA test showed a significant difference in the comparison of collagen density between excision wounds treated with 5 SS gel and carbopol gel on the 3rd, 5th, and 7th observation days (P < 0.05). Significant differences were also found in the comparison of epithelial thickness between wounds treated with 5 SS gel and wounds treated with carbopol gel on days 3, 5, and 7 (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The application of 5 SS gel significantly increases collagen density and epithelial thickness in secondary healing of palate excision wounds of Wistar rats.