[The influence of hypnotics on the development of morphological and biochemical wound reaction (author's transl)]

The influence of hypnotics (barbital and carbromal) on the development of the early wound reactions in mechanically injured skin of guinea pigs was investigated: 1) The cellular reactions in incised wounds were retarded after moderate intoxication by hypnotics (300 mg/kg barbital; 3 g/kg carbromal). The histomorphological changes in wounds were inhibited by carbromal twice as much as by barbital. The hitherto published investigations had not shown any retardation of the early cellular inflammation by weakening influences such as loss of blood or alcohol without symptoms of shock (Berg et al., 1977) or local disturbances by acids and bases (Kampmann et al., 1978). 2). A moderate delay of the activity of structure bound enzymes was found in barbital intoxication, a stronger restriction under the influence of carbromal. 3) After barbital intoxication significant elevation of histamine or serotonin in wounds was not seen. Under the influence of carbromal there was also no increase of histamine but an increase of serotonin. Thus, although the cellular reactions seem to be the most reliable indicator among the methods for the determinations of wound age under devitalizing influences, their value is reduced in cases of intoxications by hypnotics needing treatment. Possible pathophysiological connections of the alterations of morphological and biochemical wound reaction with shock are discussed.