[Effects and action mechanisms of Buyang Huanwu Decoction in wound healing of chronic skin ulcers of rats].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the effects and action mechanisms of Buyang Huanwu Decoction, a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine, in wound healing of chronic skin ulcers of rats.


METHODS
A total of 54 male SD rats with back full-thickness skin lesion were used in this study. Except for the normal control group, the rats were injected with hydrocortisone for inducing chronic skin ulcers, and were randomly divided into untreated group and Buyang Huanwu Decoction group. The rate and the time of wound healing were observed. Immunohistochemical method and image analytical method were used to test the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and microvessel count (MVC) in granulation tissue of chronic skin ulcers in the rats.


RESULTS
The rate of wound healing was significantly lowered in the untreated group as compared with the normal control group (P<0.01, P<0.05), and the time of wound healing was obviously longer too (P<0.01). In the Buyang Huanwu Decoction group, the rate of wound healing was significantly higher than that in the untreated group (P<0.01), and the time of wound healing was obviously shorter than the latter's (P<0.01). In the untreated group, the expression of VEGF and MVC were significantly lower than those in the normal control group (P<0.01); the expression of VEGF and MVC were obviously increased in the Buyang Huanwu Decoction group as compared with those in the untreated group (P<0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Buyang Huanwu Decoction has the effect to promote the wound healing for chronic skin ulcers of rats by regulating the expression of VEGF in granulation tissue of chronic skin ulcers.
Xu
Jie-nan
JN
Institute of Chinese Traditional Surgery, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200032, China. xu_jienan@sina.com
Que
Hua-fa
HF
Tang
Han-jun
HJ
D000818:Animals; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012883:Skin Ulcer / Q000188:drug therapy*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects*
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C460102:buyang huanwu