Protective role of plastoquinone in the early stages of second-degree thermal skin burn

Thermal skin burn is associated not only with local tissue alterations but also with the development of systemic disturbances that promote the generalization of inflammatory processes, including burn-induced overproduction of reactive oxygen species, free-radical oxidation and lipid peroxidation. The present study investigated the protective role of plastoquinone, a natural plant antioxidant, on the morphological state of the skin, as well as the shape and aggregation of erythrocytes in laboratory animals (rats) under thermal burns of the II degree. Thermal burn resulted in a decrease in epidermis thickness, with an increase in the number of hyperemic vessels, damaged hair follicles and sebaceous glands. Application of plastoquinone, included in liposomes, to the damaged skin had a protective effect on the skin structures; in the case of liposomes applied without plastoquinone, the protective effect was less pronounced. In addition, thermal burn altered the state of erythrocytes, leading to their deformation and aggregation. Plastoquinone in liposomes applied topically or administered intravenously showed a protective effect on erythrocytes comparable to that of ubiquinone, preventing the development of burn-induced erythrocyte shape changes.
However, only plastoquinone administered intravenously completely prevented erythrocyte aggregation, thus leveling out the negative effects of burn injury on the functional activity of erythrocytes, indicating the effectiveness of plant plastoquinone in burn injury.