Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Diabetes mellitus (DM) delays wound healing, including those following tooth extractions. Curcumin (CCM) can promote soft tissue and bone healing. The present study investigates the healing effects of CCM on tooth extraction sockets in diabetic rats. METHODOLOGY: Ninety-six male Wistar rats were divided into the following four groups: Control+Corn Oil (CO), Control+CCM, DM+CO, and DM+CCM. Each group was subdivided into 7-, 14-, and 28-day time point subgroups comprising eight rats. All animals had their maxillary first molars extracted. CCM-treated rats received 100 mg/kg of CCM orally for 7, 14, and 28 days. The lesion area was evaluated using macroscopic analyses, whereas socket healing was assessed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Keratinocyte growth factor (KGF), Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), and collagen type I (COL1) expression levels were obtained using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Bone healing was analyzed by means of microcomputed tomography (μCT). RESULTS: After 7 days, the groups showed no significant differences in lesion area and by day 14, no lesions were present. CCM treatment increased KGF mRNA expression in diabetic rats; however, diabetic rats showed delayed bone healing unrelated to CCM. CCM treatment resulted in increased Runx2 mRNA expression only in control rats, whereas COL1 mRNA expression remained unaffected by CCM. CONCLUSION: CCM shows potential as a soft tissue healing enhancer in diabetic rats and could serve as an additional treatment to promote soft tissue repair in diabetic individuals. Although CCM did not impact alveolar bone healing, it may enhance bone healing in other skeleton regions.