PURPOSE: The objective of the present study was to monitor the process of second intention skin wound healing in rats with jaundice. METHODS: The study was divided into two steps. In the first, obstructive jaundice was induced in 68 male rats to investigate the biochemical changes and to determine the ideal time for the study of healing. In the second step, 54 rats were divided into two groups: control (normal) and experimental (jaundiced). Seventy-two hours after jaundice induction, a standardized wound was produced in the dorsum by removing the skin and the subcutaneous net, whose contraction was assessed on the 3rd, 7th, 10th and 14th day and monitored with a computer program. After sacrifice, the tissue was submitted to histopathologic analysis. RESULTS: The most marked biochemical changes were detected between the 3rd and 5th day. The reduction of he wound area was slower in the jaundice group at all 4 time points studied (p3=0.0366, p7=0.0054, p10=0.0000. p14=0.0000). Collagen concentration was lower in the wound of jaundiced animals (p3=0.0000. p7=0.0000. p14=0.0000). CONCLUSION: Jaundice delays collagen deposition and maturation and wound contraction in wounds left to heal by second intention wound healing in rats.
Wound healing; Jaundice
