Comparison of the effects of topical fusidic acid and rifamycin on wound healing in rats

Wound healing is an active and dynamic process that begins from the moment of injury. Any delay in the initiation of the response to injury can prolong the healing process. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of topically applied fusidic acid and rifamycin on wound healing in a full‐thickness wound model. Ten female Sprague‐Dawley rats, aged 4 months and weighing 200–250 g, were used. Four rifamycin (R), four fusidic acid (F) and four control (K) areas were generated on their backs by using a 5‐mm punch biopsy pen. On the 4th, 7th, 14th and 21st days, biopsies were taken from each wound area of all the rats. Fusidic acid group demonstrated a statistically significant increase of collagen and intensity of fibroblast proliferation on the 21st day of wound healing, whereas in the rifamycin group, healing time was, as expected, similar to physiological wound‐healing phases. Despite the limited number of subjects, topical fusidic acid was found to delay wound healing by prolonging fibroblast proliferation.