[Influence of sea water immersion on inflammation and healing of the wounds in scalded rats].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the influence of sea water immersion on inflammation and healing of the wounds in scalded rats.


METHODS
One hundred and forty-four male Wistar rats with 10% TBSA superficial partial-thickness scald were randomly divided into A (n=72, with scald) and B (n=72, with seawater immersion for 4hrs immediately after scald) groups. The serum contents of K+, Na+, Cl- were determined at 0 post-scald hour (PSH), 6PSH, 12PSH and 24 PSH with electrocyte analysis apparatus, and the changes in serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) levels were determined at 0 PSH, 6PSH and 12 PSH with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The histopathological changes in the rats of the two groups were observed, and wound healing time was respectively calculated.


RESULTS
The serum contents of K+, Na+, Cl- in B group were obviously higher than those in A group. And the serum content of TNF-alpha and IL-6 in B group at 6 PSH [(140 +/- 22) ng/L, (160 +/- 41) ng/L] were significantly higher than those before scald [(29 +/- 15) ng/L, (62 +/- 17)] ng/L and in A group [(120 +/- 12) ng/L, (124 +/- 22) ng/L, ( P < 0.05)]. Compared with A group, re-epithelization of the wound differentiation in all layers of epidermis were delayed in B group, with more severe wound swelling, exudation, and topical inflammatory response. The wound healing time in B group was (16.3 +/- 1.6) d, which was obviously longer than that in A group [(14.1 +/- 1.8) d, P < 0.05)].


CONCLUSIONS
Sea water immersion combined with scald injury can aggravate the inflammatory response of the wound and delay the wound healing process.
Fan
Zi-feng
ZF
Department of Burns, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, PR China.
Wang
Jia-han
JH
Li
Zhi-qing
ZQ
Yi
Chao-hui
CH
D000818:Animals; D002056:Burns / Q000473:pathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007249:Inflammation; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012623:Seawater / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis; D014945:Wound Healing
D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha