Evaluation of platelet-derived growth factor in a rat model of ischemic skin wound healing

Chronic wounds are a major healthcare problem that consume substantial resources. Molecular analyses have identified major differences in the microenvironments of healing and chronic human wounds, including elevated inflammatory cytokines and proteases and reduced protease inhibitors and mitogenic activities. Previous studies using bipedicle ischemic rat skin wound models reported altered patterns of cytokines and proteases that are similar to those in human chronic wounds. Daily topical applications of rhPDGF accelerated healing of wounds in the bipedicle ischemic skin model and reduced levels of TNF-alpha and MMP-9. In addition, a single treatment with an adenovirus vector expressing PDGF also accelerated healing of the ischemic rat skin wounds. These data indicate the bipedicle ischemic rat skin wound model parallels healing and molecular responses of human chronic wounds to PDGF and suggest that transient gene therapy may be beneficial in promoting healing of chronic wounds.