Effects of hexose sugars: Glucose, fructose, galactose and mannose on wound healing in the rat

The effects of four hexose sugars (D-glucose, D-fructose, D-galactose, D-ma nnose) on the developing granulation tissue in rats were examined. Cylindri cal hollow sponge implants were used as an inductive matrix for the growth of granulation tissue. In the test group, the implants were injected with 0 .1 ml of solution containing the different hexoses in 0.01, 0.1 and 1 M con centrations daily for 7 days while the implants of the control groups were injected with 0.1 mi of phosphate-buffered saline solution only. Analyses o f granulation tissue and wound fluid in the sponge implants were carried ou t 7 days after implantation. The results demonstrated that galactose caused a significant increase in the accumulation of granulation tissue as estima ted by histological analyses, but no significant differences were observed in various chemical analyses. In striking contrast, statistically significa nt decreases were observed in the number of leukocytes in wound fluid, in t he amount of DNA, RNA, collagen hydroxyproline, nitrogen, hexosamines and u ronic acids in sponges treated with 0.1 or 1 M mannose, reflecting decrease d granulation tissue formation. This effect was also observed in histologic al analyses of the specimens. There were no major changes in sponges treate d with glucose or fructose. In summary, the findings of the present study d emonstrate that galactose may enhance wound healing and mannose treatment i nhibits the inflammatory reaction in wound healing and decreases granulatio n tissue formation in an experimental wound model.