Background: Although numerous recent advances in wound healing have highlighted the importance of adjunct therapies in maximizing healing potential, abnormal wound healing continues to cause significant expense, morbidity, and mortality.
Objective: This study examines the effects of pentoxifylline (PTX) on wound healing.
Hypothesis: We are expecting that PTX administration can increase biomechanical parameters and modulate matrix metalloproteinaseses-1 (MMP-1) and MMP-3, and matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor-1 (TIMP-1) in normoglycemic (NG) rat model of wound healing.
Methods: Each rat received an identical wound from a full-thickness incision on its back. Experimental rats received systemic administration of PTX. All rats underwent examinations for biomechanical and polymerase chain reaction(PCR) analysis. Maximum stress and energy absorption were calculated as the biomechanical examinations. Expressions of MMP-1, MMP-3 and TIMP-1 genes were evaluated semi-quantitatively by reverse transcriptional (RT)-PCR.
Results: PTX significantly improved biomechanical parameters. Quantification of MMP-1, MMP-3, and TIMP-1 showed that PTX significantly reduced gene expressions of MMP-1 and MMP-3. There was a significant increase in TIMP-1 gene expression.
Conclusion: Systemic administration of PTX significantly accelerated the wound healing process in NG rats.
Keywords: biomechanical evaluation; normoglycemic rats; pentoxifylline; reverse transcriptional polymerase chain reaction; wound healing.