Hyperbaric oxygen therapy to treat diabetes impaired wound healing in rats

PLoS One. 2014 Oct 15;9(10):e108533. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0108533. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Wound healing in diabetes is frequently impaired and its treatment remains a challenge. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) receives a wide attendance and is often used as a last resort treatment option, however, its effectiveness for many conditions is unproven. We tested the effect of HBOT on healing of diabetic ulcers in an animal experimental setting. Experimental diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin. Four weeks after diabetes induction, rats were ulcerated by clamping a pair of magnet disks on the dorsal skin for 16 h. After magnet removal, the animals received HBOT, daily on weekdays, for 4 weeks. To examine the effect of HBOT on diabetes impaired wound healing, the degree of wound tissue perfusion, inflammation, angiogenesis, and tissue breaking strength were evaluated. HBOT effects on the degree of inflammation and number of blood vessels could not be observed. HBOT improved the tissue breaking strength of the wound, however, this did not reach statistical significance. Twenty hours after ending the HBOT, a significantly improved oxygen saturation of the hemoglobin at the venous end of the capillaries and the quantity of hemoglobin in the micro-blood vessels was measured.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amputation, Surgical
  • Animals
  • Blood Vessels / pathology
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / pathology
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / therapy*
  • Diabetic Foot / pathology
  • Diabetic Foot / therapy*
  • Hemoglobins
  • Humans
  • Hyperbaric Oxygenation / methods*
  • Inflammation / pathology
  • Inflammation / therapy
  • Neovascularization, Physiologic
  • Rats
  • Wound Healing*

Substances

  • Hemoglobins

Grants and funding

This research was supported by grant 1103-055 from the Nuts Ohra Foundation (the Netherlands). The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.