The effect of Tarantula cubensis D6 on zone of stasis in a rat burn model.

Aim: Burn injuries are one of the most devastating injuries. Saving the zone of stasis decreases burn size, morbidity, and mortality. Tarantula cubensis (TC) increases epithelization of wounds, and increases wound contraction. In this study, we investigated the effects of TC on the stasis zone.

Materials And Methods: 36 Wistar albino female rats were divided into 3 groups. Using brass comb burn model, at days 0 and 3, physiological serum solution in group 2, TC injection in group 3and no injection in group 1 was applied. Thermal and normal images were taken on day 10 and rats were sacrificed for histopathological examination.

Results: We found a statistically significant difference between the 1st and 3rd group, 2nd and 3rd group regarding viable wound areas (p < 0.05), temperature difference (body-stasis zone) and mean body temperature (p < 0.05). We found no statistically significant difference between groups regarding neovascularization, inflammatory density, and vital cutaneous appendages. We found a statistically significant difference in epithelial layer thickness between the1st and 3rd groups, 2nd and 3rd groups(p < 0.05).

Conclusion: TC increases stasis zone viability macroscopically, increases epithelial layer thickness histopathologically, thus it promotes wound healing in burn wounds. This increase in stasis zone viability was also established with thermal imaging.