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Published on: June 8, 2013
Effects of insulin-like growth factor-1 on random pattern skin flap survival in rats
Nurten Turhan Haktanır1, Güray Yılmaz2, Mehmet Fatih Bozkurt3
1Associate Professor, Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Ordu University, Turkey. Scientific, intellectual, conception and design of the study; manuscript preparation and writing; final approval.
Purpose:
To investigate the effects of pharmacological delay with insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) on skin flap survival.
Methods:
Thirty Sprague-Dawley rats were submitted to dorsal skin flap (3x9 cm). Seven days before the surgery, the animals were subdivided into three groups of 10 rats. In group 1 (controls), no injection was done. Seven days before the elevation, saline had been injected to the marked skin flap area in group 2 (sham group), and group 3 (experimental group) underwent a pharmacological delay with subcutaneous IGF-1 injections. On the seventh postoperative day, flap area was analyzed for survival. Tissue samples were obtained for histological and biochemical evaluations.
Results:
Survival rates were 43.55 ± 16%, 21.40 ± 8%, and 43.12 ± 14% in groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Differences between group 2 and other groups were statistically significant. No significant difference was detected between all three groups for tissue or plasma vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels. There was no significant histological difference between groups.
Conclusion:
Although a single injection of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) did not significantly increase flap survival, its wound healing features are still encouraging and further meticulously planned studies, especially with repeated applications or controlled-release methods, and combinations with binding protein are required.
