Histological Study of the First Seven Days of Skin Wound Healing in Rats

The aim of this study was to elaborate a histological model of incisional skin wound healing in Sprague-Dawley rats. Under aseptic conditions two paravertebral full thickness skin incisions were performed on the back of 42 anesthetized male rats. Histological sections from tissue specimens were stained by hematoxylin and eosin, van Gieson, PAS + PSD, Mallory's phosphotungstic hematoxylin and azur and eosin and evaluated during the first seven days after surgery. Histological evaluation revealed that the regeneration of injured epidermis was completed five days after surgery. The inflammatory phase was recorded during the first three days of healing with the culmination of this phase between day one and day two. The beginning of the proliferative phase was dated to the first day and the peak during day five and day six. The initiation of the maturation and remodeling phase of the healing process was observed six days after wounding. At the layer of striated muscle, the centronucleated cells were described for the first time six days after surgery. The wound healing process of rat skin was histologically described during the first seven days. Results of this work can serve as an experimental model for further research using external pharmacological and physical factors (laser light, magnetic field) by which the wound healing can be favourably influenced