title: Improvement of skin flap perfusion by subdermal injection of recombinant human basic fibroblast growth factor.
abstract: The effect of subcutaneously injected recombinant human basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) was studied in an arterial skin flap model on the ear of the hairless mouse. Fifty-three male, hairless mice were randomly assigned to 4 groups and pretreated in two different time intervals with different doses of human bFGF. Microvascular perfusion of the skin flaps was determined over a 5-day period by means of intravital microscopy after intravenous injection of the fluorescence marker fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran (M(r) 150,000). Human bFGF (2,700 ng) injected 6 days before flap creation could not improve perfusion of the flap (n = 10) when compared with controls. However, when applied 18 days before flap creation (n = 13), the same dose resulted in a significant reduction of nonperfused tissue at day 5 after flap creation (12.3% vs 26.8%, p < 0.01). Eighteen-day pretreatment with 1,200 ng (n = 10) and 480 ng (n = 10) had no significant effect on skin flap perfusion. We conclude, therefore, that successful pretreatment with bFGF for prevention of skin flap necrosis is time and dose dependent.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Surgical Research, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Uhl
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Barker
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bondàr
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Galla
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Lehr
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Messmer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008812:Mice, Hairless; D010477:Perfusion; D011897:Random Allocation; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply; D013524:Surgical Flaps
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2