Background: Delayed wound healing is one of the major complications of diabetes. The aim of the present study was to enhance bone regeneration in extraction sockets of diabetic rats through controlled release of bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) from 2 types of bioactive glass scaffolds
Methods: Ninety male Albino rats were utilized in this study. Diabetes was induced by 4 daily intraperitoneal injections of streptozotocin. The first right mandibular molar was extracted for all rats. The rats were randomly assigned into three groups (GI, GII and GIII) (30 rats each) according to the date of sacrifice 3,7 and 9 days after extraction. The three main groups were subdivided into: Control subgroup (Con), Mg (Mg) and Zn (Zn) Bioactive glass subgroups. The bone regenerative efficacy of the scaffold materials were evaluated histologically, immunohistochemically and histomorphometrically.
Results: A significant increase in the newly formed bone area percentage has been recorded in the Zn subgroup more than the Mg subgroup within GII and GIII where (P<0.001). The immunohistochemical results revealed a significant increase in vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression within GI and GIII subgroups where (P=0.002 and P=0.001) respectively. On the other hand there was a non significant increase in VEGF expression between GII different subgroups (P=0.267).
Conclusions: Mg and Zn enriched bioactive glass mixed with BMP-2 were capable to enhance wound healing and bone formation in extraction sockets of diabetic rats. Zn bioactive glass was more effective as it enhanced angiogenesis in the healing sockets.