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

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.

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.

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.

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.