[Effects of collagen and glucan on the healing of burn wounds in mice].

The covering of the wound is one of the important measures in the burn treatment as well as in the control of infection and hypermetabolism. Skin transplantation is the major measure in covering the wound of III degree after escharotomy, while control of the infection was of primary importance in the treatment of II degree burn. Recent studies indicate that collagen provides good frame for extension of epidermis in wound healing, and glucan, an immunoregulator, promotes wound healing by the way of activating macrophages. In the present study, the effects of normal saline, 0.5% III type collagen and 5% glucan (0.4 ml/day for 10 days respectively) on the wound healing rate (healing area/initial wound area) was evaluated in the mice with 7% II degree burn. Biopsy specimens of the wound were examined under the microscope. Results showed that the healing rate with collagen and glucan was increased in the early stage of burn as compared with that of the saline control (P less than 0.05, P less than 0.01). The healing rate was even higher in the glucan group than that in the collagen group (P less than 0.05). Microscopic examination showed that the wound was covered by epidermis, proliferation of fibrous tissue under the epidermis, transformation of fibroblast to fibrocyte and collagenization in the early stage of burn in mice treated with collagen. The healing of the glucan group was also satisfactory, and it was characterized by more macrophages and active phagocytosis of hemosiderin. The above findings suggest that collagen and glucan can promote wound healing by different ways.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)