Wound healing in normal and analbuminemic (NAR) rats

It has been suggested by several investigators that hypoalbuminemia results in impaired wound healing. In most studies, however, hypoalbuminemia is a manifestation of malnutrition or underlying liver disease. In this study, we examined the effect of isolated hypoalbuminemia on wound healing. Analbuminemic (NAR) rats which are Sprague-Dawley mutants with trace levels of plasma albumin due to a defect in albumin synthesis were studied. Adult NAR and Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 10 each) underwent a 7 cm dorsal skin incision and implantation of a polyvinyl alcohol sponge subcutaneously under pentobarbital anesthesia. Seven days postoperatively all rats were killed with ether, the wounds were excised, and breaking strength was measured. Sponge hydroxyproline content was determined colorimetrically. There were no significant differences in wound breaking strength (fresh or formalin fixed) or sponge collagen content between the Sprague-Dawley and analbuminemic rats. We conclude that isolated hypoalbuminemia has no detrimental effect on would healing in rats.