Chronic anemia, wound healing, and red cell 2,3-diphosphoglycerate.

Relationships between various types of chronic anemia, wound healing, and red cell 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3 DPG) were examined in rabbits. Wound tensile strength and energy absorption were not affected by chronic iron-deficiency anemia, the chronic hemolytic anemia caused by intravenous water infusion nor by chronic hemolytic anemia caused by intravenous water infusion nor by chronic phenylhydrazine-induced anemia. Red cell 2,3 DPG levels were increased in the anemia of iron deficiency and were normal in the rabbits with chronic phenylhydrazine-induced anemia at the time of wound excision but were low following phynylhydrazine injection. The results show that chronic anemia per se does not affect the tensile strength and energy adsorption of wound healing. The findings suggest that the wound healing process may differ in certain types of anemia.