title: A comparative study of recombinant human basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and erythropoietin (EPO) in prevention of skin flap ischemic necrosis in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Impaired wound healing in ischemic tissues such as skin flaps resulting from inefficient perfusion is one major cause of complications in plastic surgery. In present experimental study, we investigated the effects of fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2 or bFGF) and erythropoietin (EPO) in prevention of skin flap necrosis in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  30 adult albino rats were randomized into 3 groups: in control group, normal saline solution; in EPO group, erythropoietin (100U/kg/day); and in FGF-2 group, fibroblast growth factor-2 (2.5µg/day) were injected subcutaneously in 3 daily consecutive doses in the designated flap areas before creating 4:1 random pattern skin flaps on the dorsum of animals. Areas of ischemic (SI) and necrotic (SN) zones were measured and compared in all groups one week after the flap creations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The necrotic zone (SN), as well as the ratio of the necrotic zone to the total discolored zone (SN/[SI+SN]) were substantially larger in the control group (41%±7%, 90%±6%) compared to the EPO (20%±2%, 42%±4%)  and the FGF-2 (8%±2%, 19%±3%) groups (p<0.001). The differences in these values were also meaningful between the EPO and FGF-2 groups (p<0.001).Vascular density in ischemic area of the control group was less than those in the EPO and the FGF-2 groups; however, the differences were not statistically significant between any of the groups (p>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Local administration of erythropoietin or fibroblast growth factor-2 in skin flaps could remarkably increase tissue viability and accelerate the wound healing process. However, the therapeutic effect of fibroblast growth factor-2 in preventing the necrotic event in ischemic zones of skin flaps is much more considerable than that of erythropoietin.
authors.affiliation: Tehran Heart Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. efayazzadeh@razi.tums.ac.ir
authors.forename: Ehsan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fayazzadeh
authors.forename: Seyed Hossein
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Ahmadi
authors.forename: Shahram
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rabbani
authors.forename: Mohammad Ali
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Boroumand
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Salavati
authors.forename: Maryam Sotoudeh
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Anvari
mesh_terms: D043925:Angiogenesis Inducing Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006085:Graft Survival; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D007511:Ischemia / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D009336:Necrosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology*; D014945:Wound Healing
chemical_list: D043925:Angiogenesis Inducing Agents; C100666:KCB-1 protein, recombinant; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D004921:Erythropoietin