TOPICAL HYDROGEN-PEROXIDE TREATMENT OF ISCHEMIC ULCERS IN THE GUINEA-PIG - BLOOD RECRUITMENT IN MULTIPLE SKIN SITES

Background: Oxygen deficit is a key factor associated with delayed hea ling of ischemic wounds in human beings. Topical oxygen-releasing comp ounds such as hydrogen peroxide or tetrachlorodecaoxide have been sugg ested as therapy for ischemic tissue. Objective: Our purpose was to mo nitor the effect of hydrogen peroxide cream on the process of ischemic ulcer healing with a model for ischemic ulcers in the guinea pig. Met hods: Measurement of vascular perfusion with a laser Doppler velocimet er and gross observations of percentage of nonnecrotic wound surface w ere made on ischemic wounds in guinea pigs after treatment with either a hydrogen peroxide cream or a placebo cream. Results: Visual evaluat ions of the percentage of nonnecrotic wound surface showed no statisti cally significant differences among the treatments. In contrast, vascu lar perfusion measurements resulted in statistically significant diffe rences. Blood flow was significantly higher up to day 15 in ulcers tre ated with 2% hydrogen peroxide cream than in those treated with placeb o cream. Vascular perfusion was significantly higher in ulcers treated with 3.5% hydrogen peroxide cream than in ulcers treated with either 1.5% hydrogen peroxide cream or placebo. Adjacent control sites in gui nea pigs whose ulcers were treated with hydrogen peroxide cream showed increased vascular perfusion compared with corresponding sites in ani mals whose ulcers were treated with placebo, Even distant flank contro l sites of ulcers treated with 3.5% hydrogen peroxide cream showed inc reased vascular perfusion. Conclusion: Treatment of ischemia-induced u lcers with hydrogen peroxide cream enhanced cutaneous blood recruitmen t not only to ulcers and adjacent sites, but also to distant sites.