{"title":"The impact of N-acetylcysteine on early periods of tendon healing: <i>histopathologic, immunohistochemical, and biomechanical analysis in a rat model</i>.","authors":"Halil Büyükdoğan, Cemil Ertürk, Erdal Eren, Çiğdem Öztürk, Burak Yıldırım, Tahir Burak Sarıtaş, Metehan Demirkol","doi":"10.1080/03008207.2025.2479501","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This study aimed to evaluate the early effects of N-acetylcysteine, which has antioxidant, inflame-modulatory, and cytoprotective properties, on tendon healing.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Thirty-five male Wistar Hannover rats were divided into five groups: first-week treatment (Group 1T), first-week control (Group 1C), third-week treatment (Group 3T), third-week control (Group 3C), and native tendons (Group N). Bilateral Achilles tenotomy was performed on all rats except Group N. After tenotomy, 150 mg/kg N-acetylcysteine was administered daily intraperitoneally to treatment groups, while isotonic saline was given to the control groups. Tendons were evaluated histopathologically, immunohistochemically, and biomechanically after sacrifice in the first and third weeks.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>No significant differences were observed in the first week (<i>p</i> > 0.05). Movin and Bonar scores (lower scores reflect improved histologic healing) were significantly lower in Group 3T than in Group 3C (<i>p</i> = 0.002). Collagen type-I/type-III ratios were higher in Group 3T compared to Group 3C (<i>p</i> = 0.001). Fmax (N) values were similar across Group 3T, Group 3C, and Group N (<i>p</i> = 0.772). However, cross-sectional areas (mm<sup>2</sup>) were significantly smaller in Group 3T than in Group 3C (<i>p</i> = 0.001), with the smallest areas observed in native tendons. Thus, tensile strength (MPa, load per unit area) and toughness (J/10<sup>3</sup> mm<sup>3</sup>, energy absorbed per unit volume) were significantly higher in Group 3T than in Group 3C (<i>p</i> = 0.001).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>N-acetylcysteine supplied some improved results on early markers of tendon healing. Although our findings support the potential of NAC as a therapeutic adjunct in tendon injuries, further studies are needed to evaluate the long-term effects and underlying mechanisms.</p>","PeriodicalId":10661,"journal":{"name":"Connective Tissue Research","volume":" ","pages":"1-14"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Connective Tissue Research","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/03008207.2025.2479501","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"CELL BIOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the early effects of N-acetylcysteine, which has antioxidant, inflame-modulatory, and cytoprotective properties, on tendon healing.
Materials and methods: Thirty-five male Wistar Hannover rats were divided into five groups: first-week treatment (Group 1T), first-week control (Group 1C), third-week treatment (Group 3T), third-week control (Group 3C), and native tendons (Group N). Bilateral Achilles tenotomy was performed on all rats except Group N. After tenotomy, 150 mg/kg N-acetylcysteine was administered daily intraperitoneally to treatment groups, while isotonic saline was given to the control groups. Tendons were evaluated histopathologically, immunohistochemically, and biomechanically after sacrifice in the first and third weeks.
Results: No significant differences were observed in the first week (p > 0.05). Movin and Bonar scores (lower scores reflect improved histologic healing) were significantly lower in Group 3T than in Group 3C (p = 0.002). Collagen type-I/type-III ratios were higher in Group 3T compared to Group 3C (p = 0.001). Fmax (N) values were similar across Group 3T, Group 3C, and Group N (p = 0.772). However, cross-sectional areas (mm2) were significantly smaller in Group 3T than in Group 3C (p = 0.001), with the smallest areas observed in native tendons. Thus, tensile strength (MPa, load per unit area) and toughness (J/103 mm3, energy absorbed per unit volume) were significantly higher in Group 3T than in Group 3C (p = 0.001).
Conclusion: N-acetylcysteine supplied some improved results on early markers of tendon healing. Although our findings support the potential of NAC as a therapeutic adjunct in tendon injuries, further studies are needed to evaluate the long-term effects and underlying mechanisms.
期刊介绍：
The aim of Connective Tissue Research is to present original and significant research in all basic areas of connective tissue and matrix biology.
The journal also provides topical reviews and, on occasion, the proceedings of conferences in areas of special interest at which original work is presented.
The journal supports an interdisciplinary approach; we present a variety of perspectives from different disciplines, including
Biochemistry
Cell and Molecular Biology
Immunology
Structural Biology
Biophysics
Biomechanics
Regenerative Medicine
The interests of the Editorial Board are to understand, mechanistically, the structure-function relationships in connective tissue extracellular matrix, and its associated cells, through interpretation of sophisticated experimentation using state-of-the-art technologies that include molecular genetics, imaging, immunology, biomechanics and tissue engineering.
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