Treatment Of Experimental Frostbite With Pentoxifylline & Aloe Vera Cream
Miller MB; Koltai PJ
Division Of Otolaryngology, Albany Medical College
Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 121(6):678-80 1995 Jun

OBJECTIVE: To compare the therapeutic effects of systemic pentoxifylline and topical Aloe vera cream in the treatment of frostbite. DESIGN: The frostbitten ears of 10 New Zealand white rabbits were assigned to one of four treatment groups: untreated controls, those treated with Aloe vera cream, those treated with pentoxifylline, and those treated with Aloe vera cream and pentoxifylline. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Tissue survival was calculated as the percent of total frostbite area that remained after 2 weeks. RESULTS: The control group had a 6% tissue survival. Tissue survival was notably improved with pentoxifylline (20%), better with Aloe vera cream (24%), and the best with the combination therapy (30%). CONCLUSION: Pentoxifylline is as effective as Aloe vera cream in improving tissue survival after frostbite injury.

Prevention Of Ultraviolet Radiation-Induced Suppression Of Contact & Delayed Hypersensitivity By Aloe Barbadensis Gel Extract
Strickland FM; Pelley RP; Kripke ML
Department Of Immunology, University Of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
J Invest Dermatol 102(2):197-204 1994 Feb

We investigated the ability of Aloe barbadensis gel extract to prevent suppression of contact hypersensitivity (CHS) and delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) responses in mice by ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. Local immune suppression was induced in C3H mice by exposure to four daily doses of 400 J/m2 UV-B (280-320 nm) radiation from FS40 sunlamps, followed by sensitization with 0.5% fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) through the irradiated skin. Topical application of 0.167-1.67% Aloe gel after each irradiation significantly reduced this suppression. Aloe treatment partially preserved the number and morphology of Langerhans and Thy-1+ dendritic epidermal cells in skin, compared to those in the skin of mice given only UVR or UVR plus the vehicle. Experiments using a single (2 kJ/m2) dose of UVR followed by Aloe treatment showed that the effect of Aloe was not due to screening of the UVR. Systemic suppression of DTH to Candida albicans or CHS to FITC was induced in C3H mice exposed to 5 or 10 kJ/m2 UV-B radiation, respectively, on shaved dorsal skin and sensitized 3 d later with a subcutaneous injection of formalin-fixed Candida or FITC painted on unirradiated, ventral skin. Treatment of the UV-irradiated skin with Aloe immediately after irradiation prevented suppression of both DTH to Candida and CHS to FITC. Aloe treatment did not prevent the formation of cyclobutyl pyrimidine dimers in the DNA of UV-irradiated skin or accelerate the repair of these lesions. These studies demonstrate that topical application of Aloe barbadensis gel extract to the skin of UV-irradiated mice ameliorates UV-induced immune suppression by a mechanism that does not involve DNA damage or repair.

Experimental & Clinical Observations On Frostbite
Heggers JP; Robson MC; Manavalen K; Weingarten MD; Carethers JM; Boertman JA; Smith DJ Jr; Sachs RJ
Ann Emerg Med 16(9):1056-62 1987 Sep

Experimental ischemia by the classic frostbite rabbit ear model clearly defined the role of thromboxane as a mediator of progressive dermal ischemia in frostbite injuries. The therapeutic groups consisted of the antiprostanoids, methylprednisolone, and aspirin combined with anti-thromboxane agents Aloe vera and methimazole, while the control group received no therapy. Survival was measured by planimetry for all groups. No tissue survival was evident in the frostbite control group. Methimazole treatment allowed 34.3% survival, Aloe vera 28.2% survival, aspirin 22.5% survival, and methylprednisolone 17.5% survival. The data compare the results of a modified frostbite protocol using ibuprofen with therapeutic modalities used by other clinical services. Of 154 patients treated for frostbite from 1982 to 1985, 56 were treated with our frostbite protocol; 98 were treated with other modalities. Of the 56 protocol patients, 18 suffered 1st degree frostbite, 25, 2nd degree frostbite, and 13, 3rd degree frostbite. For all degrees of frostbite, 67.9% healed without tissue loss, 25.0% healed with partial tissue loss, and 7% required amputation (P less than .001). Of the patients not on protocol, 11 suffered 1st degree frostbite, 51, 2nd degree frostbite, and 36, 3rd degree frostbite. Of these, 32.7% healed without tissue loss, 34.6% healed with tissue loss, and 32.7% required amputation. The morbidity of progressive dermal ischemia in frostbite may be decreased by the therapeutic use of inhibitors of the arachidonic acid cascade.

Alvagel As A Therapeutic Agent In The Treating Of Radiation Burns
Collins CE; Collins C
The Radiological Review June 1935

1934 - Dr. C. E. Collins, a Maryland physician, and his son, Creation Collins. In several cases of roentgen (radium) dermatitis, the Collinses found that by treating ulcerated skin tissue of their patients with packs of fresh Aloe vera leaves split and wrapped around the wounds, they were able to witness a markedly improved rate of healing. Additionally, they formulated a compound from fresh Aloe vera gel which also netted effective results in the same patterns of usage. In a medical journal in 1935, Creston Collins offered this summary of his report: “Since April 1934, we have treated more than fifty cases of x-ray and radium burns with Aloe vera leaf and an ointment known as ‘Alvagel’ made from the leaf. While they have not all been perfect cures, the results as a whole have been most gratifying.”