| Abstract: | Calcium alginate has been proved to favor the skin ulcer healing and collagen synthesis was a critical factor for the wound closure. The present study was to elucidate the mechanism of calcium alginate on the diabetes skin ulceration. Calcium alginate dressing was applied daily on the full-thickness exercising wound created on the back of diabetic rat model as Alg-group (n=6), and the vaseline dressing was used as control (n=6). Rats were respectively sacrificed and the wound tissues were removed and used for the evaluation of various biochemical analysis contained collagen (type I and III) by Western blotting and hydroxyproline level changes by ELISA assay at 3 d, 7 d and 14 d after wounding. The expression of skin collagen I in Alg-group was enhanced from day 3 (0.66±0.25 vs. 0.42±0.09, P<0.05) to day 14 (1.09±0.14 vs. 0.78±0.16, P<0.05). However, no significant difference of collagen III expression was found between two groups during wound healing (P>0.05). And the ratio of collagen I/III in Alg-group was greater than that of Vas-group at day 7 (1.07±0.31 vs. 0.77±0.11, P<0.05) and 14 (1.18±0.30 vs. 0.83±0.14, P<0.05). The hydroxyproline level in skin homogenate of Alg-group was higher than that of Vas-group from day 3 (30.29±0.92 ng/ml vs. 27.52±0.83 ng/ml, P<0.05) to day 14 (89.58±4.97 ng/ml vs. 79.30±4.42 ng/ml, P<0.05). Calcium alginate accelerates the process of wound healing through improving type I collagen synthesis and increasing ratio of collagen I/III in diabetic rats. |
