title: The Effects of Oltipraz on Tissue Regeneration in the Process of Wound Healing: A Stereological Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the effects of topical administration of 20% oltipraz solution on histomorphometrical and stereological aspects of skin tissue in full thickness skin wounds in laboratory rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-six male Wistar portion rats (220±20 g) were randomly divided into three groups (n=12). On the first day of experimentation, a 1-cm2 circular wound was made on the posterior surface of neck in all rats by removing a full thickness skin piece immediately after induction of anesthesia with ether inhalation. One group was treated with vehicle solution (DMSO alone). The second group was treated daily with 20% oltipraz solution, and the third group, the control group, received no treatment. The wound closure rate was estimated our previously described method. The volume density of collagen bundles, vessels, and hair follicles, the vessels' length density, mean diameter of vessels and also fibroblast population were estimated by using stereological methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The oltipraz group indicated a significantly higher improvement (6.26% of the wound surface per day) than control and the vehicle treated groups (p=0.032); furthermore, there was inconsiderable difference between the rate of wound closure in the group treated with vehicle (4.93% per day) and the control group (4.43% per day).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Oltipraz  has  positive  influence on  fibroblast proliferation  and  re-pithelization.  A  noticeable observation in our study was absence of scar formation in wounds which were treated by oltipraz and can be mentioned as an advantage of this drug.
authors.affiliation: Histomorphometry and Stereology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Noorafshan
authors.affiliation: Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Sina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kardeh
authors.affiliation: Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Soheil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ashkani-Esfahani
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Namazi
authors.affiliation: Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Ehsan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Saleh
keywords: ; Wound Healing; Oltipraz; Rat; Stereology