Abstract
Purpose: To investigate the healing effect of Zicao Ointment (ZCO) on second-degree burns in rats. Methods: Male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats, weighing 200 – 220 g, were subjected to deep seconddegree skin burns by electrical scald instrument. The animals were divided into three groups as follows: (1) second-degree burns (control) group, (2) burns treated with 1 % silver sulfadiazine (SSD) group, and (3) second-degree burns treated with ZCO group. On days 3, 7 and 14 following administration of the drug or ZCO, wound area and histopathological changes of rat epidermis were evaluated for the various groups. Results: On day 14, mean wound area of ZCO treatment group (0.28 ± 0.04 cm 2 ) was significantly smaller than that of the control rats (2.63 ± 0.19 cm 2 , p < 0.01). Histological results indicate that inflammatory cells disappeared and were replaced by new granulation tissue by day 14 in the group treated with ZCO. Compared with SSD group rats, the inflammatory cells decreased and fibroblast and granulation tissues increased significantly in burnt rats treated with ZCO. Conclusion: Zicao Ointment is effective for the treatment of second-degree burns in rats and may be suitable for clinical therapy of second-degree burns. Keywords: Zicao ointment, Second-degree burns, Healing, Rat epidermis, Silver sulfadiazine
Highlights
Every year, millions of people suffer major disabilities or even death from burns, caused by hot water, flame and boiling oil
The wound area of burnt rats decreased progressively when applied with silver sulfadiazine (SSD) or 120 mg/mL Zicao Ointment (ZCO) treatment
On day 0, collagen fiber was necrotic, inflammatory cells infiltrated below the striated muscles and vascular engorgement and necrosis were seen in the burn skin of model rats
Summary
Millions of people suffer major disabilities or even death from burns, caused by hot water, flame and boiling oil. On days 3, 7 and 14, following treatment, average wound areas of the control, SSD and ZCO group rats were measured. The top of electrical scald instrument (Changhai Hospital of Second Military Medical University, China) was pressed on the skin at the back of the rat for 12 s at 80 oC. In this way, the second-degree burn model was prepared. All rats were randomly divided into three groups of thirty-five rats each: second-degree burn model group, silver sulfadiazine-treated group and ZCO-treated group. Wound skin tissue samples were taken, using a scalpel, from the control, SSD and ZCO groups on days 7 and 14 for histological observation.
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