Arch Plast Surg.  2017 May;44(3):194-201. 10.5999/aps.2017.44.3.194.

Hydrogel and Platelet-Rich Plasma Combined Treatment to Accelerate Wound Healing in a Nude Mouse Model

• Park YG
• Lee IH
• Park ES
• Kim JY

• KMID: 2403912
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5999/aps.2017.44.3.194

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) contains high concentrations of growth factors involved in wound healing. Hydrogel is a 3-dimensional, hydrophilic, high-molecular, reticular substance generally used as a dressing formulation to accelerate wound healing, and also used as a bio-applicable scaffold or vehicle. This study aimed to investigate the effects of PRP and hydrogel on wound healing, in combination and separately, in an animal wound model.
METHODS
A total of 64 wounds, with 2 wounds on the back of each nude mouse, were classified into 4 groups: a control group, a hydrogel-only group, a PRP-only group, and a combined-treatment group. All mice were assessed for changes in wound size and photographed on scheduled dates. The number of blood vessels was measured in all specimens. Immunohistochemical staining was used for the analysis of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression.
RESULTS
Differences in the decrease and change in wound size in the combined-treatment group were more significant than those in the single-treatment groups on days 3, 5, 7, and 10. Analysis of the number of blood vessels through histological examination showed a pattern of increase over time that occurred in all groups, but the combined-treatment group exhibited the greatest increase on days 7 and 14. Immunohistochemical staining showed that VEGF expression in the combined-treatment group exhibited its highest value on day 7.
CONCLUSIONS
This experiment demonstrated improved wound healing using a PRP-hydrogel combined treatment compared to either treatment individually, resulting in a decrease in wound size and a shortening of the healing period.

Keyword

Platelet-rich plasma; Hydrogel; Tissue scaffold; Wound healing

MeSH Terms

Animals
Bandages
Blood Vessels
Hydrogel*
Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
Mice
Mice, Nude*
Platelet-Rich Plasma*
Tissue Scaffolds
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
Wound Healing*
Wounds and Injuries*
Hydrogel
Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A