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Effects of an Inhibitor of Nitric Oxide Synthesis on Skin Wound Repair
Author(s) -
Amadeu TP,
Desmoulière A,
Costa AMA
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
wound repair and regeneration
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.847
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1524-475X
pISSN - 1067-1927
DOI - 10.1111/j.1067-1927.2005.130117f.x
Subject(s) - medicine , dermis , nitric oxide , wound healing , rat model , surgery , contraction (grammar) , anatomy
Considering that nitric oxide (NO) plays an important role on cutaneous wound repair, but its effects have not been defined, an inhibitor of NO synthesis (LNAME) was used. Control group received free water and LNAME group received LNAME (20 mg/kg/day) in drinking water. A full‐thickness excisional wound was performed (0d), and the animals were sacrificed 7, 14, and 21 days later. Wound contraction was evaluated by lesion surface measurement at 0d, 7d, 14d, and 21d. The blood pressure of all rats was measured in the beginning and at the each time point of the experiment with a plethysmography method. The wound and normal skin surrounding was formol fixed and paraffin embedded. To evaluate the vessels, an immunohistochemistry for α‐smooth muscle actin was done and stereological parameters were estimated in superficial and deep dermis. At 7d, 14d, and 21d the blood pressure of LNAME group was higher compared with control group (p < 0.001 for all). The wound contraction of LNAME group was slower compared with control group at 14d and 21d (p = 0.004 for both). In superficial dermis, vessels were more dilated in control group compared with LNAME group at 14d and 21d (p = 0.02; p < 0.0001, respectively) and longer in control group compared with LNAME group at 7d and 14d (p = 0.043; p = 0.002, respectively). Deep dermal vessels were more prominent and dilated in control group compared with LNAME group at 21d (p = 0.003; p = 0.0007, respectively), but at 7d, vessels were more dilated in LNAME group compared with control group (p = 0.015). In deep dermis, vessels were longer in control group compared with LNAME group at 14d and 21d (p = 0.002; p = 0.046, respectively). Our results show that nitric oxide inhibition affects the wound contraction and the vascularization pattern, mainly in the later phases of skin wound repair.