title: Effects of autologous keratinocyte cell spray with and without chitosan on third degree burn healing: an animal experiment.
abstract: Treatment of extensive third degree burns, especially in the case of limited skin donor sites for obtaining autologous split-thickness skin grafts (STSG), has led to in vitro expansion of keratinocytes. Cultured epidermal autograft (CEA) sheets have been used for burn treatment for several years. However, time consuming processes of isolation and cultivation of keratinocytes, as well as difficult procedures of detachment of CEA from cultured flasks, led scientists to develop the technique of spraying cultured single keratinocytes (CSK) instead of using CEA. Chitosan is a well-known wound dressing biomaterial that has both biological and medical applications. In this study, the application method of CSK was used to determine whether there would be any significant difference between the treatment of burns with CSK alone in comparison to burns treated with CSK and covered with chitosan gel at a neutral pH.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty male Wistar rats were selected and their keratinocytes were isolated and cultured from small skin biopsy. Rats were divided randomly into 3 equal groups and 3 full-thickness round burn wounds were created on their backs. Rats were treated with either normal saline (control group), CSK (test group A), or CSK + neutral chitosan (CSK+ NCH) (test group B). The wounds were photographed on days 0, 3, 5, 7, 10, and 14, and the percentage of wound contraction was calculated with an image analyzer. Biopsy samples were taken for histological studies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed faster wound contraction for test groups A and B during the 14-day period than the control group (P < 0.05). Also, more contraction was found in test groups A and B in 7 days (P < 0.05). Histological observations showed significant difference in inflammation and fibrotic tissue formation between groups, but other parameters did not show any remarkable difference.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on the findings of this study, the authors concluded that chitosan can prevent cells from dripping out of the wound, speed up wound contraction, and extend fibrotic tissue formation. Chitosan did not, however, have any effect on fastening the reepithelialization and granulation tissue formation during the first 14 days.
authors: Department of Basic Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran; email:at_se553@stu.um.ac.ir.
authors: Atieh Seyedian
authors: AS
authors: Moghaddam
authors: Department of Basic Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
authors: Ahmadreza
authors: A
authors: Raji
authors: Targeted Drug Delivery Research Center and Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Science, Mashhad, Iran.
authors: Jebraiel
authors: J
authors: Movaffagh
authors: Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Science, Mashhad, Iran.
authors: Abbas Tabatabaee
authors: AT
authors: Yazdi
authors: Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Science, Mashhad, Iran.
authors: Mahmoud
authors: M
authors: Mahmoudi