Wound splinting modulates granulation tissue proliferation.
Attachment of the extracellular matrix to a substratum is important for fibroblast survival and proliferation in three-dimensional in vitro culture systems. We hypothesized that wound matrix attachment in a wound splinting model would modulate wound cell proliferation in vivo. Male rats were excisionally wounded on the dorsum, and a splint was sutured to the wound edge. In one experiment (N = 12), 6 rats were desplinted on day 5, and then all were sacrificed 24 h later, 6 h after 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) injection. In the second experiment (N = 18), 6 rats each were desplinted, desplinted with wound edge release, or not disturbed, followed by BrdU injection and sacrifice 24 h later. BrdU-labeled nuclei were quantified on frozen sections of granulation tissue, cut at three different levels. In the first experiment, the percentage of BrdU-positive nuclei per high power field (hpf) in the splinted vs. desplinted animals was 6.15 +/- 2.45 (S.D.) vs. 3.03 +/- 1.58%* p<0.001, ANOVA. In the second experiment, the number of BrdU-positive per hpf was 33.1 +/- 17.4 vs. 14.5 +/- 17.1 vs. 10.2 +/- 9.1* (splinted vs. desplinted vs. desplinted/released); *p<0.001 [analysis of variance (ANOVA)]. Removal of the wound splint decreased the rate of BrdU-labeled cells in the granulation tissue by approximately 50%; complete disruption of wound matrix attachment may have decreased this rate even further. Wound cell proliferation is modulated by lateral attachment of the wound matrix.
Department of Surgery, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha 68105, USA. macarlso@unmc.edu
Mark A
MA
Carlson
Jon S
JS
Thompson
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D006097:Granulation Tissue / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D012867:Skin / Q000293:injuries*; D013165:Splints; D014950:Wounds, Penetrating / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*
D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine