Improvement and retardation of wound healing: effects of pharmacological agents in laboratory animal studies

Impaired wound healing is an important problem; retardation of healing may be induced by endogenous and/or exogenous factors and treatments capable of ameliorating these effects are needed. The effects of solutions containing light ichthyol or povidone iodine, of ointments containing zinc oxide (ZO) and/or cod liver oil (CLO), and of a polyurethane-hydrogel foam wound dressing were examined on healing of full-thickness murine skin wounds impaired by systemic dexamethasone. The effects of the ointments were also studied on murine skin ulceration induced by subcutaneous sodium dodecyl sulphate solution. Light ichthyol at 1% and 2% but not at 5% and 10%, povidone iodine at 1% and the foam accelerated impaired healing. The ointments containing ZO or CLO accelerated healing of impaired full-thickness wounds and of ulcerated skin; ZO and CLO were synergistic. These studies demonstrate the value of murine models in the evaluation of agents employed in veterinary wound dressings.