Abstract
A dramatic improvement in full skin thickness burn wounds in rats treated intravenously with the non-ionic surfactant Pluronic F-127 (F-127) has been demonstrated. In this study the F-127 was given 30 min postburn to simulate conditions encountered in a clinical setting. Anaesthetized male rats (300-320g) received full skin thickness burns by immersion of the anterior chest wall (8 per cent body surface area in a 70°C water-bath for 12 s). Burn wound area was measured immediately and after 48 h. Thirty minutes after the burn, half the animals received equal volumes (8 ml/kg body wt) of either saline or F-127 (12 mm/l concentration) via the tail vein. The animals autopsied at 48 h showed a significant (P < 0.05) reduction in the degree of wound contraction and the wound appeared grossly less damaged in the F-127-treated animals. Histologically, skin biopsies showed less of the microscopic damage usually associated with full skin thickness burns in the F-127-treated animals than in the saline controls. We also used thermography to measure skin temperature of the burn area at 90 min and 48 h postinjury demonstrating alterations in the F-127-treated animals (P < 0.05). In animals followed for 30 days postinjury, there was a significant (P < 0.01) improvement in the wound closure rates in the F-127-treated animals. These observations show a positive therapeutic effect of F-127 on the inflammatory process in the area of a burn that may improve wound healing.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 187-191 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Burns |
Volume | 19 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jun 1993 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Surgery
- Emergency Medicine
- Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine