MODIFICATIONS TO THE RATE OF WOUND CONTRACTION BY ALLOPURINOL

The effect of allopurinol (50 mg/kg) on the rate of full thickness exc isional wound contraction in the Hooded Lister rat was assessed by pla nimetric and histological examinations. Compared with control animals, those treated with allopurinol showed a significantly lower coefficie nt of wound area contraction for days 0-7 (p<0.05) than those of contr ol animals. Histologically, in the allopurinol treated wounds the gran ulation tissue was less cellular but appeared to contain more collagen . This inhibition by allopurinol of the contraction phase of wound hea ling associated with an increased quantity of granulation tissue sugge sts that mediation of the process may involve a complex interaction be tween the fibroblasts/myofibroblasts and free radicals.