Effects of locally injected interferon-beta on palatal mucoperiosteal wound healing.
BACKGROUND
Wound contraction and scar formation in the palatal mucoperiosteum after cleft palate surgery impair maxillary growth. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of IFN-beta on palatal mucoperiosteal wound healing in growing rats.


METHODS
Standardized wounds were made in the palatal mucoperiosteum of young rats. Either IFN-beta or vehicle were injected at the wound site between 4 and 29 days after wounding. The results were compared with control wounds. Tissue samples were collected at 8, 15, 30, and 60 days PW for biochemical and microscopic analysis.


RESULTS
IFN-beta stimulated re-epithelialization but did not reduce the number of myofibroblasts or scar tissue formation. Surprisingly, the injection of vehicle alone delayed the healing process.


CONCLUSIONS
IFN-beta might be suitable to stimulate re-epithelialization but it does not reduce scar tissue formation in rat palatal wound healing. The injection of agents into palatal wounds might severely impair the healing process.
Cornelissen
A M H
AM
Department of Orthodontics and Oral Biology, University Medical Centre Nijmegen, University of Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
Von den Hoff
J W
JW
Maltha
J C
JC
Kuijpers-Jagtman
A M
AM
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000517:prevention & control; D024061:Collagen Type III / Q000032:analysis / Q000187:drug effects; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans / Q000032:analysis; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects*; D021362:Palate, Hard / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects*
D024061:Collagen Type III; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016899:Interferon-beta