EFFECT OF TISSUCOL(R) ON CONNECTIVE-TISSUE MATRIX DURING WOUND-HEALING - AN IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL STUDY IN RAT SKIN

Fibrin sealants are very useful in different surgical fields. Fixation of free gingival grafts, root coverage procedures, and other techniqu es increasing connective tissue attachment may be associated with the application of Tissucol(R) in periodontology. The aim of this study wa s to evaluate the influence of the fibrin sealant in the extracellular matrix, as well as alterations of the connective tissue matrix during wound-healing processes. In the back dermis of 15 Net male rats, Tiss ucol(R) was implanted after intraperitoneal anesthesia. The implant ma terial was placed in subcutaneous pockets (2 cm in length) which were sutured with interproximal sutures (test and control pockets). At 4, 7 , 14, 21, and 28 days after surgery, biopsies of the healed and surrou nding tissues were taken, frozen in liquid nitrogen, and examined hist ologically and immunohistochemically with antibodies against collagen types I, III, IV, V, VI, and VII. The findings showed thick and thin c ollagen type I and III fibers, respectively, with different orientatio ns localized around the implant material. An increased amount of blood vessels and capillaries (their basement membranes containing collagen type TV) was observed during wound healing which may be associated wi th the implantation of the sealant. Collagen type V fibers were locali zed from the first days to the 4th postoperative week and, without any inflammatory reaction (according to histologic staining), formed a fi brillar extracellular matrix with high collagenase resistance. Collage n type VI showed a microfibrillar pattern of distribution, and collage n type VII was localized in the dermo-epidermo junction and very deep in the connective tissue in the form of anchoring fibers (only in the test group) during the 4 postoperative weeks of healing. The data show ed that Tissucol(R) is a biocompatible component which cannot produce any extensive inflammatory reaction in the matrix. New blood vessel fo rmation, an epithelial-connective tissue interface with high stability , as well as matrix alterations with high resistance in the proteolyti c enzymes (i.e., colla genases) can be induced in the connective tissu e after use of a Abrin sealant. All of these characteristics may be of great importance in connective tissue healing in periodontal surgical procedures. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.