DEVELOPMENT OF NEW WOUND DRESSING COMPOSED OF SPONGY COLLAGEN SHEET CONTAINING DIBUTYRYL-CYCLIC-AMP

Although cyclic AMP has been considered to regulate cell proliferation , the mechanism of this function is largely unknown. Recent studies su ggest that cyclic AMP promotes the proliferation of skin cells in a do se-dependent manner. An ointment containing dibutyryl cyclic AMP has b een used in the treatment of skin ulcers and found to be effective in promoting tissue repair. To search more efficacious wound management, the authors developed a new wound dressing composed of a spongy atelo- collagen sheet containing dibutyryl cyclic AMP. This wound dressing wa s evaluated in two types of animal tests. One is the application of th e wound dressing to a full-thickness skin defect in order to evaluate the granulation tissue formation and the wound size reduction. The wou nd dressing was found to promote the granulation tissue formation and naturally reduce the wound size. The other test was the application of the wound dressing to the full-thickness skin defect, leaving behind a skin island in a central portion, in order to evaluate the epithelia lization. This skin island left in a full-thickness skin defect was ex tremely enlarged. The enlargement of the skin island seems to be relat ed to the epithelialization from the margin of the skin island as well as by the expansion of a skin island induced by contraction of the de veloped granulation tissue in the surrounding wound area. These result s suggest that an atelo-collagen spongy sheet containing dibutyryl cyc lic AMP is effective in promoting the granulation tissue formation and epithelialization.