[An experimental study on the effects of NGF on the wound healing of deep partial thickness burn in pigs]

To investigate the effects of nerve growth factor (NGF) on wound healing of deep partial thickness burn in pigs.

Six pigs of about 20 kg each were employed as the model. Twenty -- four deep partial thickness burn wounds (2.5 cm in diameter per wound) were made on the back of each pig by temperature and pressure controller. Six wounds were set to be one group. The wounds were randomly divided into 4 groups, i.e. control group (applied with normal saline, C), three treatment groups with NGF topically applied in doses of 1, 2.5 and 5 microgram/ml, respectively. Histological examination, determination of hydroxyproline, analysis of cellular DNA cycle and wound healing time in every groups were carried out on 3, 5 and 9 postburn days (PBD).

The proliferation rate of epithelia was much more active in treatment groups than in control group. Epithelization of the wound in treatment groups was earlier than of that in control group. The hydroxyproline content in treatment groups exhibited an increment after a prior decrement, especially on 5 PBD when the content was much lower in the treatment groups. The analysis of cellular DNA cycle indicated that cell number of S phase in treatment groups was obviously more than that in the control group. Furthermore, the wound healing time in treatment groups was much shorter than that in control group.

Local application of NGF might promote the wound healing of deep partial thickness burn.