Silk fibroin (SF) and alginate (AA) have been proved to be invaluable natural materials in the field of biomedical engineering. This study was designed to compare the wound healing effect of SF, AA and SF/AA-blended sponge (SF/AA) with clinically used Nu Gauze(TM) (CONT) in a rat full thickness wound model. Two circular skin wounds on the back of rat were covered with either of CONT, SF, AA or SF/AA. On the postoperative days of 3, 7, 10 and 14, residual wound area was calculated, and skin wound tissues were biopsied to measure the area of regenerated epithelium and collagen deposition as well as the number of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)-immunoreactive cells. Half healing time (HT(50)) of SF/AA was dramatically reduced as compared with that of SF, AA or CONT. Furthermore, SF/AA significantly increased the size of re-epithelialization and the number of PCNA positive cells, whereas the effect of SF/AA on collagen deposition was not significantly different as compared with that of SF or AA. These results demonstrate that the wound healing effect of SF/AA is the best among other treatments including SF and AA, and this synergic effect is mediated by re-epithelialization via rapid proliferation of epithelial cell.
Epidermal growth factor (EGF) promotes gastrointestinal mucosal recovery by stimulating the mitogenic activity of intestinal crypt epithelial cells. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of EGF on atrophic enteritis induced in piglets by experimental infection with porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus (PEDV) strain Dr13. Two groups of 12 conventional, colostrum-deprived, 1-day-old, large White-Duroc cross breed piglets were inoculated orally with PEDV (3 x 10(5) 50% tissue culture infective doses), with or without EGF (10 microg/kg/day, intraperitoneally once daily for 4 days after infection) and compared to 12 uninfected, untreated control piglets. PEDV+EGF piglets had less severe clinical signs than PEDV only piglets at 48 and 60 h post-infection (hpi). Histologically, the ratio of villous height:crypt depth of PEDV+EGF piglets was significantly higher than PEDV only piglets at 36 and 48 hpi. Immunohistochemistry for Ki67 demonstrated increased proliferation in intestinal crypt epithelial cells of PEDV+EGF piglets compared to PEDV only piglets at 36, 48 and 60 hpi. EGF stimulates proliferation of intestinal crypt epithelial cells and promotes recovery from atrophic enteritis in PEDV-infected piglets.
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