The effect of topical zinc absorption from wounds on growth and the wound healing process in zinc-deficient rats.

An experiment with local application of zinc oxide from a zinc tape to wounds was performed on 80 male Sprague-Dawley rats. Tapes with or without zinc oxide were applied on excisional wounds of both zinc-deficient and zinc-sufficient animals. The reduction in wound area was more pronounced in zinc-tape-treated animals given both a zinc-deficient and zinc-sufficient diet. The operative trauma had a negative effect on the animals' growth rate, although the state of zinc deficiency in the operated rats could be relieved by the local application of zinc. The results of the present study indicate that topically absorbed zinc from wounds promotes both the early wound healing phase and growth in both zinc-deficient and zinc-sufficient rats.