Hyaluronic Acid-Astaxanthin Gel: Anti-Inflammatory Effects in Oral Ulcer Diabetes Mellitus Rats

This study was designed to determine the anti-inflammatory effect of a combination of high-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid (HMW-HA) and astaxanthin gel on oral ulcers in diabetes mellitus rats through NF-κB, IL1β, and IL-10 expression. Forty oral ulcer diabetic rats were used as experimental animals and divided randomly into 4 large groups (basic gel treatment (BT); HMW-HA 0.2 % gel treatment (HAT), astaxanthin 1 % gel treatment (AXT), and HMW hyaluronic acid 0.2 % and astaxanthin 1 % gel treatment (HAXT)). They were treated for 3 and 7 days (5 rats per group). The anti-inflammatory effect was measured by immunohistochemical examination of NF-κB, IL1β, and IL-10 expression. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to analyze the data, followed by a post hoc Mann-Whitney test (p < 0.05). The NF-κB expression on day 3 showed a significant difference between BT (5 ± 0.50). and HAXT (3 ± 0.50) (p < 0.05); IL1β expression showed no significant differences between BT (4 ± 1.00) with all groups (p > 0.05); IL-10 expression showed a significant difference between BT (2 ± 1.00) with AXT (3 ± 0,50) and HAXT (5 ± 1,00) (p < 0.05). The NFκB expression on day 7 showed a significant difference between BT (5 ± 0,50) with HAXT (2 ± 1,00) (p < 0.05); IL1β expression showed a significant difference between BT (3 ± 1.00) with HAXT (1 ± 0.50); HAXT (1 ± 0.50) with HAT (2 ± 0.50) and AXT (2 ± 0.50) (p < 0.05); IL-10 expression was significantly different between BT (3 ± 1.00) with AXT (4 ± 0.50) and HAXT (7 ± 0.50); AXT (4 ± 0.50) and HAXT (7 ± 0.50) (p < 0.05). A combination of HMW hyaluronic acid and astaxanthin gel on oral ulcers has an anti-inflammatory effect seen from reduced NF-κB, IL1β expression, and elevation of IL-10.