The effect of recombinant Growth Hormone on burn wounds on rabbits

IntroductionBurns are a severe pathology worldwide with serious impact on patients quality of life. Scar contraction and hypertrophy are often encountered and have a negative impact on scar quality and functional outcome. In order to improve healing we studied the effects of topically applied recombinant Growth Hormone on burn wounds.

Material and methodsThis is a prospective study conducted on 10 New Zealand

White male rabbits. Four deep 2nd

degree burn wounds were inflicted on each animal (one on each ear and flank).On the control wounds (left side) only Hyaluronic acid (HA) gel was applied. The wounds on the study side (right side of the rabbit) were treated with a combination of recombinant Growth hormone(rGH) and HA in gel form. The treatment was applied and the dressings were changed every other day, for 2 weeks. Skin biopsies were taken at 10 weeks postburn and sent for pathological and imunohistochemical analysis. At 2 weeks postburn blood samples were taken to determine the hepatic enzymes and bilirubin and to evaluate the systemic effect of rGH (blood sugar, proteins, albumin, IGF-1).The wound surface was evaluated through planimetry.

ConclusionsTopically administered rGH, in a gel form, with Hyaluronic acid as carrier, improves wound healing and scar quality of burn wounds without systemic side-effects .

This study was funded through a grant (PN-II-RU-TE-2011-3-002) from CNCS-UEFISCDI.

ResultsHistology of the HA and rGH treated wounds had significant (p<0.005) differences to HA treated wounds : ↓ inflammation ↑ collagen , vascularisation & myofibroblast activityBlood tests revealed no systemic effects of rGH.Scar contraction was diminished on the treated side.

Codrin Dobreanu1, Raluca Sobec1, Ioana Tichil1, Ana Somcutean1, Elena Dinte2,Cristian Magdas3, Nagy Andras3, Lucian Fodor1

1Department of Plastic Surgery and Burn Unit, 1st Surgical Clinic, Emergency County Hospital, Cluj Napoca, Romania2Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cluj Napoca, Romania3Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj Napoca, Romania

r G H + H A H A

r G H + H A H A