Accelerated healing with a mesh autograft/allodermal composite skin graft treated with silver nylon dressings with and without direct current in rats.
OBJECTIVE
Evaluation of the healing and persistence of a meshed composite skin graft applied without immunosuppression.


METHODS
The contraction of wounds grafted with 9:1 split-thickness autograft/1.5:1 allodermal mesh composite skin grafts (auto/allo MCSGs) was investigated. No immunosuppressive agent was applied. Male ACI rats and female Lewis rats reciprocally served as allodermis graft donors and recipients. Autograft/dermal autograft and allograft/dermal allograft MCSGs were the controls.


RESULTS
AT 3 months after grafting, when epithelized auto/allo MCSG wounds were measured by computerized morphometric analysis, the silver nylon (SN) dressing group displayed less contraction than the Vaseline (petroleum jelly) dressing group (p < 0.003), and direct current treatment (SNDC) was more effective than SN (p < 0.005). The histologic structures of the hair follicles appear to confine the rejection process to the allogeneic follicles of the graft. The focal nature of the rejection process and the relatively low antigenicity of the dermal matrix allowed the survival of the allodermis layer. Although direct current significantly enhanced MCSG healing, SN and SNDC were not the immunosuppressive agents that were confirmed.


CONCLUSIONS
This type of MCSG can heal without immunosuppressive treatment.
Chu
C S
CS
US Army Institute of Surgical Research, Fort Sam Houston, Texas 78234-6315, USA.
Matylevitch
N P
NP
McManus
A T
AT
Goodwin
C W
CW
Pruitt
B A
BA
D000818:Animals; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002056:Burns / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004560:Electricity; D005260:Female; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D018859:Hair Follicle / Q000098:blood supply / Q000637:transplantation; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D008297:Male; D009757:Nylons; D009779:Occlusive Dressings; D051381:Rats; D011912:Rats, Inbred ACI; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D012834:Silver / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016038:Skin Transplantation; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D014945:Wound Healing
D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local; D009757:Nylons; D012834:Silver