Losartan, which is sold under the trade name Cozaar may show synergistic effects in tissue healing in patients undergoing Platelet-Rich-Plasma (PRP) therapy. Losartan is a common antihypertensive drug often used for both its antihypertensive properties and its cardiac myocyte (muscle cell) protective properties. A recent study published in 2013 by the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery demonstrated possible exploitation of Losartan’s myocyte protective and antifibrotic properties in animal studies.
In the animal study, the PRP and Losartan combination demonstrated a significantly greater number of regenerating myofibers at the two week and the four week mark. When isolating the muscle samples and staining the muscles for collagen (fibrous tissue), the Losartan and PRP & Losartan group demonstrated a significant decrease in collagen (less fibrous tissue) when compared to the controls. This suggests that while PRP helps with regenerating muscle fibers, the addition of Losartan to the treatment regimen can help reduce fibrous scar tissue and possibly regenerate higher “quality” muscle fibers.
The utilization of Losartan as an anti-fibrotic agent is starting to gain traction with current orthopedic intervention. On August 10th 2018, authors from the Steadman Philipon Research Institute published an abstract commenting on the effects of Losartan’s ability to decrease scar tissue via transforming growth factor beta inhibition. The authors cited postoperative use of Losartan as an area of interest in orthopedic research to improve the effectiveness of PRP therapy.
Conclusion: There are promising benefits to the use of PRP in muscle injury. The addition of PRP alone caused greater number of regenerating myofibers, an indicative sign of muscle recovery. Moreover, the addition of Losartan added to the treatment regimen has promising benefits of preventing fibrosis of the recovering muscle, leading to less scar tissue.
Contributors:
Herbert Mao, MS4 and Brian Handal, DO
- Get a Grip on Thumb Pain - March 25, 2024
- Spring PRP and Biologics Discount Day - March 18, 2024
- Tennis Elbow, Anyone? How to treat and manage the condition known as Tennis Elbow. - March 13, 2024
