The biological effects of topical alginate treatment in an animal model of skin wound healing.
Wound healing is a dynamic and complex process of tissue repair that involves a number of cellular and molecular events. It proceeds from inflammatory response to reepithelialization and finally to formation of a permanent scar. Alginate is a polymer of guluronic and mannuronic acid that is used as a scaffolding material in biomedical applications. For the purpose of studying wound healing, full-thickness skin defects were produced on the dorsal area in rats. We measured the relative sizes of the wounds on days 3, 5, 7, 14, and 28. The wound sizes were decreased in the alginate-treated group compared with the control group and the vaseline-treated group. The expressions of transforming growth factor-beta1, fibronectin, and vascular endothelial growth factor were significantly decreased in the alginate-treated group compared with the control group, while the expression of collagen-I was increased in the alginate-treated group, as indicated by Western blotting and immunohistochemical staining. These data suggest that alginate has significant wound healing promoting activity. The results from the present study indicate that the effect of alginate on wound healing may involve biological mechanisms associated with the expression of transforming growth factor-beta1, fibronectin, vascular endothelial growth factor, and collagen-I.
Lee
Woo-Ram
WR
Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Catholic University of Daegu, Nam-gu, Daegu 705-718, Korea.
Park
Ji-Hyun
JH
Kim
Kyung-Hyun
KH
Kim
Soo-Jung
SJ
Park
Dae-Hwan
DH
Chae
Mi-Hyun
MH
Suh
Soong-Hyuck
SH
Jeong
Seung-Won
SW
Park
Kwan-Kyu
KK
D000287:Administration, Topical; D000464:Alginates / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D024042:Collagen Type I / Q000378:metabolism; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000378:metabolism; D020723:Glucuronic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006603:Hexuronic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D012867:Skin / Q000293:injuries*; D014014:Tissue Adhesives / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000378:metabolism; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects*
D000464:Alginates; D024042:Collagen Type I; D005353:Fibronectins; D006603:Hexuronic Acids; D014014:Tissue Adhesives; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C467498:vascular endothelial growth factor A, rat; D020723:Glucuronic Acid