[Experimental study on recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor gel in a diabetic rat model of cutaneous incisal wound healing].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor (rhPDGF-BB) on cutaneous incisal wound healing in diabetic rats and this factor does-effect relationship.

METHODS: Thirty Wistar diabetic rats were used in this study. Four full-thickness skin wounds of 2.54 cm(2) were incised in the back of each rat. The wounds were divided into five groups: three groups were treated with different dosage of rhPDGF-BB gel (14.0 microg/cm(2) wound, 7.0 microg/cm(2) wound, 3.5 microg/cm(2) wound), other two groups were treated with vehicle or untreated, respectively. rhPDGF-BB gel was topically applied to the wounds from 1 to 14 days. The wound healing effect was assessed by the measurements of the wound area, subcutaneous chamber and histological changes of each group.

RESULTS: On 14 days, the wounds of the three groups treated with rhPDGF-BB contracted to (0.22+/-0.30)cm(2), (0.05+/-0.06)cm(2), (0.32+/-0.32)cm(2), respectively. The area of the middle dosage groups was significantly smaller than those treated with vehicle 0.23+/-0.22 cm(2) (P<0.05) and untreated (0.22+/-0.25) cm(2) (P<0.05). On 7 days, the subcutaneous chambers of the three treated groups contracted to (0.04+/-0.03)ml, (0.02+/-0.02)ml, (0.06+/-0.03)ml, and there was a statistic significance when comparing middle dosage group with vehicle group (0.06+/-0.03) ml (P<0.05) and untreated group (0.07+/-0.05 ml (P<0.05). As for histological examination, much more granulation formation was shown in the wound bed in middle dosage group than that in other four groups on 7 days, and some of the wounds treated with middle dosage were healing on 14 days.

CONCLUSION: It suggested that topical application of rhPDGF-BB might improve wound healing in diabetic rats. The effective dosage of rhPDGF-BB is 7.0 microg/cm(2) wound.