Evaluation of lipoic acid topical application on rats skin wound healing.

Purpose: To evaluate the effects of lipoic acid (thioctic acid) topical application on wound healing on rats skin, and the consequences of lipoic acid nanoencapsulation on this process.

Methods: The model used was the healing activity on wounds induced by surgical incision on rats skin (n = 44). The parameters analyzed (11 days) were wound healing rate and histology (vascular proliferation, polymorphonuclear or mononuclear cells, and collagen synthesis or reepithelialization), after application of free lipoic acid or lipoic acid- loaded nanocapsules.