Enhanced Scar Reduction Using Topical Application of Captopril-containing Silicone Gel in a Rabbit Model of...

Area of Science:

• Dermatology and Regenerative Medicine
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Pathological scars pose a significant clinical challenge.
• Antihypertensive medications, such as angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, are being investigated for scar treatment.
• Topical silicone is a common treatment for scar management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the scar-reducing efficacy of topical silicone and captopril (an ACE inhibitor) gel, both alone and in combination.
• To evaluate the effects of these treatments on scar histopathology and molecular markers.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled study was conducted on 80 wounds in 8 New Zealand White rabbits.
• Treatments included control, vehicle, silicone gel, captopril 50 mg/g gel, and a combination of captopril-containing silicone.
• Scar assessment involved histopathology (scar elevation index), cell counts (fibroblasts, capillaries), epithelial thickness, and immunohistochemistry for Ki-67, collagen types I and III, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).

Main Results:

• The captopril-containing silicone group demonstrated significantly lower scar elevation index, fibroblast counts, capillary counts, epithelial thickness, and collagen type I and III expression compared to other groups (P < 0.001).
• Significant reductions in Ki-67 and VEGF expression were observed in the silicone, captopril 50 mg/g, and combination groups versus control and vehicle groups (P < 0.001).
• Captopril combined with silicone showed enhanced scar reduction compared to captopril alone.

Conclusions:

• Topical captopril, at 50 mg/g, is effective in reducing scar formation, both as a monotherapy and in combination with silicone.
• The combination of captopril and silicone offers superior scar-reducing effects.
• Captopril presents a promising alternative to conventional silicone for diverse clinical scar management applications.