Efficacy of exogenous fibronectin in wound healing in malnourished rats.
OBJECTIVE
Fibronectin (FN) plays an important role in fibrin matrix formation during the wound healing process. The authors investigated whether exogenous FN increases the bursting strength (BS) of surgical wounds in malnourished rats.


METHODS
Ninety rats were grouped according to three nutritional conditions (n = 30 in each group). All animals underwent a transverse celiotomy after 3 weeks of feeding, and FN (2 mg/body/day) was given postoperatively to 15 rats in each of the three groups. Wound BS was measured on postoperative days (PODs) 3, 5, and 7 after removal of the sutures.


RESULTS
BS in normally nourished rats (group N; 142.6+/-23.4 mmHg) was significantly higher than that in protein malnourished rats (group PM, 110.2+/-11.2 mm Hg) and protein/ calorie (Cal)-malnourished rats (group PCM, 76.5+/-10.7 mm Hg) on POD 7 (P<.01). However, BS values for groups PM + FN (147.0+/-21.1 mmHg) and PCM + FN (115.1+/-28.9 mm Hg) were intensified significantly in comparison with groups PM and PCM (P<.01). Plasma FN levels in rats of the three FN nontreated groups were similarly decreased on POD 3 or 5, but returned to the preoperative level on POD 7, whereas those for the other three FN-treated groups increased after POD 3.


CONCLUSIONS
Intravenous administration of FN might strengthen the weakened wounds of malnourished animals.
Nakada
M
M
Division of Pediatric Surgery, St Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, Japan.
Nakada
K
K
Kitagawa
H
H
Kawaguchi
F
F
Hoson
M
M
Wakisaka
M
M
Kashimura
T
T
Ohkawa
I
I
Sato
Y
Y
Furuta
T
T
D000007:Abdominal Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D009748:Nutrition Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012016:Reference Values; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects*
D005353:Fibronectins