A hydrocellular foam dressing versus gauze: effects on the healing of rat excisional wounds.
OBJECTIVE
Hydrocellular foam dressings are characterised by their ability to create a moist wound healing environment and absorb high amounts of exudate. In this study, we examined the effect of a hydrocellular foam dressing on the healing of rat excisional wounds.


METHODS
One full-thickness wound was made on the back of rats and wounds were treated with hydrocellular foam dressing or gauze dressing. To examine the histology of the wound, haematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was performed. Gene expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), fibroblast growth factor (FGF), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1a) in granulation tissue was examined by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (real-time RT-PCR). VEGF protein was measured by ELISA.


RESULTS
The hydrocellular foam dressing promoted formation of granulation tissue and significantly promoted wound closure. A scab formed on the surface of granulation tissue in the gauze-treated wounds, which disturbed epithelialisation. In addition, the expression of VEGF and mRNA was higher in the gauze-treated wounds.


CONCLUSIONS
These results supports the hypothesis that gauze encourages scab formation, which impairs epithelialisation and increases VEGF expression. In contrast, hydrocellular foam dressing accelerates epithelialisation and new vessel formation in granulation tissue.
Kunugiza
Y
Y
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Japan.
Tomita
T
T
Moritomo
H
H
Yoshikawa
H
H
D000818:Animals; D001458:Bandages; D047070:Bandages, Hydrocolloid; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014945:Wound Healing; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*