Application of heparinized selective acellular sheepskin in wound-healing promotion of deep second-degree burns

This study investigated the application of selective sheepskin acellular dermal matrix (ADM), combined with the anticoagulant heparin, in the wound-healing treatment of deep second-degree burns (DSDB).

A DSDB model was established, and the test animals were randomly divided into 4 groups: iodophor gauze (IG), pig ADM (PA), selective sheepskin ADM (SSA), and heparinized selective sheepskin ADM (HSSA).The microcirculation of the wound surface, pathological structures, healing rates, and fibroblast apoptosis rates were observed at different times in each group.

At 24, 48, and 72 hours post-burn, the filling degree of microcirculation in the HSSA group was higher than that in all other groups (P < 0.05). On days 14, 21, and 28 post-burn, the wound healing rates in the 3 biological-dressing groups were significantly better than the rate in the IG group (P < 0.05). On days 14 to 28 post-burn, the number of apoptotic fibroblasts in each group had increased significantly, with the number in the HSSA group on day 28 being significantly higher than that in the other groups (P < 0.05).

When used in treating burn wounds, HSSA, SSA, and PA protect the cellular wound surface and provide an ideal growing environment for the fibroblasts and endothelial cells to promote wound healing and scar inhibition.

The selective sheepskin ADM was successfully produced and found to exhibit better effects in protecting microcirculation and promoting wound healing compared with all other analyzed methods.