Chlorogenic acid enhances abdominal skin flap survival based on epigastric artery in nondiabetic and diabetic rats

Previous studies showed that chlorogenic acid (CGA) accelerates wound healing via its antioxidant activity. We aimed to investigate the effect of CGA in an experimental epigastric abdominal skin flap model in nondiabetic and diabetic rats. Rats were firstly divided into 2 groups: nondiabetic and diabetic. Diabetes was induced by streptozotocin. Then, 4 subgroups were created for each group: vehicle as well as 0.2 mg/0.5 mL, 1 mg/0.5 mL, and 5 mg/0.5 mL CGA treatments. Right epigastric artery-based abdominal skin flaps were elevated and sutured back into their original position. Chlorogenic acid or vehicle was injected once into the femoral arteries by leaving the epigastric artery as the single artery feeding the flaps during the injection. On postoperative day 7, flap survivals were evaluated, and the rats were killed. Distal flap tissues were collected for histopathological and biochemical assays. Chlorogenic acid showed greater flap survival in both nondiabetic and diabetic rats. Capillary density was increased, and necrosis was reduced in the CGA-treated rats. Chlorogenic acid decreased malondialdehyde levels as well as increased reduced glutathione and superoxide dismutase levels in the flap tissues. This study showed that CGA significantly improved flap survival by its antioxidant activities with intra-arterial local injections.