Effect of novel carboxymethyl cellulose-based dressings on acute wound healing dynamics

The clinical implications and efficacy of newly developed modified cellulose materials were evaluated in an acute wound animal model. In the current study, sixty male rats were divided into four groups. A full-thickness circular excision wound was created in the suprascapular area. Newly developed matrices (acidic partially carboxymethylated cellulose; acidic partially carboxymethylated cellulose impregnated with a povidone-iodine solution) were applied in two test groups, while fifteen animals were used as a control group without any primary dressing. Aquacel Ag, a clinically used dressing, was selected as the reference material. To compare the efficacy in vivo, the wound size and production of selected cytokines and growth factors (TNF-α, TGF-β1, and VEGF), which play a key role in the healing process, were measured at two, seven, and fourteen days after surgery. The activity of matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9, which actively participate in cell signalling and are essential for tissue remodelling, was determined in wound tissue by gelatin zymography. A positive effect of the newly developed dressing materials on the healing process, tissue granulation, and wound re-epithelialisation was demonstrated.