CAN THE WOUND-HEALING PROCESS BE IMPROVED BY VITAMIN SUPPLEMENTATION - EXPERIMENTAL-STUDY ON HUMANS

The improvement of the wound healing process in humans by vitamin supp lements is still controversial because of the lack of a clearly demons trated correlation with the mechanical properties of scars. Objective: The aim of this work was to study the effects of high doses of ascorb ic acid (AA) and pantothenic acid (PA) on the wound healing process of human skin. Method: Two groups of patients undergoing surgery for tat too removal by the successive resection procedure received AA (1 or 3 g/day) and PA (0.2 or 0.9 g/day). More than 80 mechanical, biological and histological parameters were investigated in both preoperated skin and the scars. Results: The breaking energy of scars was higher in gr oup 2, and energy and treatment were directly correlated (p = 0.006). Mg and Mn significantly rose in group 2 whereas Fe decreased in a dose -dependent manner. Intragroup comparison showed patient and treatment effects for Mg, a time treatment effect for Cu and a treatment effect for Fe. Conclusion: The degree and rapidity of variations rather than the variations of the absolute values themselves of fibroblasts, hydro xyproline, Fe, Cu and Mg are significantly related to the enhancement of the mechanical properties of scars. From this study, it may be assu med that in order to obtain 'better', more solid and resistant scars, the decrease of Fe must be quick and acute in order to avoid the harmf ul effects of toxic radicals; the increase of Cu, Mg and Mn must be ea rly and high in order to have more stable and solid collagen.