Abstract
The effects of PGE1·CD ointment on an incisional wound model in rats and a thermal injury model in miniature swines were investigated. In the rat incisional wound model under conditions in which the natural healing was delayed by means of dexamethasone, the tensile strength of the wound increased significantly by treatment with PGE1·CD ointment (50 μg/g). PGE1·CD ointment (30 μg/g) significantly shortened the overall length of time for a complete healing of the thermal injury in miniature pigs. The cutaneous blood flow (CBF) of the instep of a hind paw was determined with a laserdoppler flow meter in anesthetized rats. PGE1·CD ointment (10 and 30 μg/g) increased the CBF dose-dependently, while no significant change was observed on the systemic arterial blood pressure. In an in vitro study, it was found that PGE1·CD (10-9∼10-6M) could exert a cell proliferative effect on the epidermal keratinocytes by the mechanism of increasing the intracellular cAMP levels. This effect could be considered beneficial for the reepithelialization of wounds, and might also be associated with the healing activity of PGE1·CD ointment as well as its vasodilatory action. These results therefore suggest that PGE1·CD ointment should be a useful drug for the treatment of various types of cutaneous ulcers including decubitus ulcers in the clinical stage.
