title: Effects of carbon dioxide therapy on the healing of acute skin wounds induced on the back of rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the healing effect of carbon dioxide therapy on skin wounds induced on the back of rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixteen rats underwent excision of a round dermal-epidermal dorsal skin flap of 2.5 cm in diameter. The animals were divided into two groups, as follows: carbon dioxide group - subcutaneous injections of carbon dioxide on the day of operation and at three, six and nine days postoperatively; control group - no postoperative wound treatment. Wounds were photographed on the day of operation and at six and 14 days postoperatively for analysis of wound area and major diameter. All animals were euthanized on day 14 after surgery. The dorsal skin and the underlying muscle layer containing the wound were resected for histopathological analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no statistically significant difference between groups in the percentage of wound closure, in histopathological findings, or in the reduction of wound area and major diameter at 14 days postoperatively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Under the experimental conditions in which this study was conducted, carbon dioxide therapy had no effects on the healing of acute skin wounds in rats.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, UnB, Brasilia, DF, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Vitória Carmo
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Penhavel
authors.forename: Victor Henrique Tavares
authors.initials: VH
authors.lastname: Nascimento
authors.forename: Eliana Ferreira Ribeiro
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Durães
authors.forename: Fabiana Pirani
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Carneiro
authors.forename: João Batista de
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Sousa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic / Q000187:drug effects; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012016:Reference Values; D012867:Skin / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide