Impaired wound healing is an enigmatic and debilitating complication of diabetes.
A consensus as to the pathogenesis of this disorder has yet to emerge. Recent concepts
suggest that IGF-1 is an important regulator of the healing process. The level of
this growth factor is reduced in the wound environment of diabetics. We tested the
premise that IGF-1 administration may prevent or ameliorate wound healing impairment
in streptozotocin (STZ, 55 mg/kg, iv) diabetic rats. IGF-1 (15 µg/day) or placebo
was infused via mini-osmotic pumps into standardized stainless steel dorsal wound
chambers. Wound-related parameters including protein, DNA, hydroxyproline and macrophages
were decreased as a function of diabetes. A 14-day treatment with IGF-1 reversed the
diabetes effect and increased total hydroxyproline, DNA, protein and macrophage numbers
by 48%, 52%, 31% and 40% above vehicle-control values, respectively. The data support
the premise that diabetes, related suppression of IGF-1 and/or macrophage function
within the wound environment is responsible, at least in part, for the wound healing
impairment in this disease state.
Key words
IGF-1 - Wound Healing - Macrophages - Diabetes
