Therapeutic effects of topical application of ozone on acute cutaneous wound healing

Abstract

This study was undertaken to evaluate the therapeutic effects of topical ozonated olive oil on acute cutaneous wound healing in a guinea pig model and also to elucidate its therapeutic mechanism. After creating full-thickness skin wounds on the backs of guinea pigs by using a 6 mm punch biopsy, we examined the wound healing effect of topically applied ozonated olive oil (ozone group), as compared to the pure olive oil (oil group) and non-treatment (control group). The ozone group of guinea pig had a significantly smaller wound size and a residual wound area than the oil group, on days 5 (P<0.05) and 7 (P<0.01 and P<0.05) after wound surgery, respectively. Both hematoxylin-eosin staining and Masson-trichrome staining revealed an increased intensity of collagen fibers and a greater number of fibroblasts in the ozone group than that in the oil group on day 7. Immunohistochemical staining demonstrated upregulation of platelet derived growth factor (PDGF), transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expressions, but not fibroblast growth factor expression in the ozone group on day 7, as compared with the oil group. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that topical application of ozonated olive oil can accelerate acute cutaneous wound repair in a guinea pig in association with the increased expression of PDGF, TGF-beta, and VEGF.

Keywords: Collagen; Ozone; Wound Healing.

Fig. 1

The effects of ozonated olive oil on clinical wound closure. The photomicrographs demonstrate the enhanced wound closure, in the ozone group, on the left two wounds (a and b) on the back of the guinea pig, as compared to the oil group (c) as well as the control group (d). (Bar=5 mm).

Fig. 2

Masson-trichrome staining of the wound bed and the edge of the injury site on days 3 and 7. The ozone group revealed the increased staining intensity of collagen fibers and the number of fibroblasts at the wound bed and edge, in comparison to the oil group and the control group on day 7, but not on day 3 (original magnification ×400, Bar=50 µm).

Fig. 3

Immunohistochemical staining for FGF, PDGF, TGF-β, and VEGF on day 7. The ozone group revealed the relatively increased expressions of PDGF (B, F, J), TGF-β (C, G, K), and VEGF (D, H, L), but not FGF (A, E, I) as compared to the oil group on day 7 (×100, original magnification, inlet; ×400, Bar=500 µm).