title: Botulinum toxin-A to improve urethral wound healing: an experimental study in a rat model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Tensile distracting forces caused by elements such as a muscle pull can cause widening of scars in the tissue during the wound healing process. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether induced immobilization of the urethral muscle using botulinum toxin-A (BTX-A) enhances wound healing and also reduces the amount of scar formation in an experimentally induced urethral injury in a male rat model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prepubertal male albino rats were divided into 2 groups: 20 rats in the BTX-A group received BTX-A injection treatment during surgery and 10 rats in the control group received 0.9% saline solution injection. The penile skin was incised circumferentially and degloved. To make the urethral injury at a location approximately 15 mm proximal to the external meatus, the urethra was cut transversally with scissors, from the 2-o'clock to the 10-o'clock position and then sutured by a single suture at the 6-o'clock position. To evaluate chronic inflammation and fibrosis, the rats were killed, and the injured portions of the urethras were harvested for histopathologic examination after a follow-up period of 21 days.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On histopathologic evaluation, the control group rats had a more severe fibrotic change in the urethral tissue compared with the BTX-A injected rats, which showed a mild fibrotic change. The mean +/- SD and median fibrosis score was 2.4 +/- 0.5 and 2 in the control group and 1.5 +/- 0.5 and 1 in the BTX-A group, respectively (P < .01 and P < .01, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of our study have shown that BTX-A prevented increases in collagen content during urethral wound healing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University of Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam School of Medicine, Kahramanaras, Turkey. tskanat@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Tayfun
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sahinkanat
authors.forename: Keramettin Ugur
authors.initials: KU
authors.lastname: Ozkan
authors.forename: Harun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ciralik
authors.forename: Senol
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ozturk
authors.forename: Sefa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Resim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019274:Botulinum Toxins, Type A / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D009465:Neuromuscular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D014521:Urethra / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000293:injuries*; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D009465:Neuromuscular Agents; D019274:Botulinum Toxins, Type A