The effects of oral ingestion of oleic (OLA) and linoleic (LNA) acids on wound healing in rats were investigated. LNA increased the influx of inflammatory cells, the concentration of hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) and cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant-2αβ (CINC-2αβ), and the activation of the transcription factor activator protein-1 (AP-1) in the wound at 1 hour post wounding. LNA decreased the number of inflammatory cells and IL-1, IL-6, and macrophage inflammatory protein-3 (MIP-3) concentrations, as well as NF-κB activation in the wound at 24 hours post wounding. LNA accelerated wound closure over a period of 7 days. OLA increased TNF-α concentration and NF-κB activation at 1 hour post wounding. A reduction of IL-1, IL-6, and MIP-3α concentrations, as well as NF-κB activation, was observed 24 hours post wounding in the OLA group. These data suggest that OLA and LNA accelerate the inflammatory phase of wound healing, but that they achieve this through different mechanisms.