BACKGROUND:Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy can aleviate the skin flap congestion by improving the angiogenesis and increasing the oxygen content of blood in skin flaps. Although the HBO therapy ability to increase flap survival has been wel described, the research on the application of HBO pretreatment in skin flap transplantation does not arouse adequate concern.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of HBO pretreatment on early-stage flap congestion in the rat model of over-length dorsal random skin flaps.
METHODS: Thirty-six SD rats were randomly divided into control group (n=12), HBO pretreatment group (n=12) and HBO treatment group (n=12). Rats in the HBO pretreatment group received 4 days of HBO therapy prior to transplantation, once a day. Rats in the HBO treatment group received 4 days of HBO therapy after transplantation. Rats in the control group were raised in the normal conditions after flap transplantation. At postoperative days 3 and 5, rats were sacrificed and the samples were colected. The inflammation of flap tissues was detected using hematoxylin-eosin staining. The expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and transforming growth factor-β was analyzed by immunohistochemistry staining. The flap survival rate was calculated at postoperative day 5.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The flap survival area of the HBO pretreatment group and HBO treatment group was larger than that of the control group (P < 0.05). At postoperative days 3 and 5, the expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor and transforming growth factor-β in the flap tissue were higher in the HBO pretreatment group and HBO treatment group than the control group (P < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the flap survival area and the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and transforming growth factor-β between HBO pretreatment and HBO treatment groups (P > 0.05). HBO pretreatment can increase the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and transforming growth factor-β and promotes angiogenesis in random pattern flaps,thereby improving skin flap survival.

Objective To investigate the expression of early growth response protein 1 (Egr-1),NGFI-A binding protein 2 (Nab2) and caveolin 1 (Cav-1) in normal skin,flat-cicatrix and hypertrophic scar,and explore its role in the formation of hypertrophic scar.Methods The expression of Egr-1,Nab2 and Cav-1 protein in 9 normal skin tissues,8 flat-cicatrix tissues and 9 hypertrophic scar tissues were examined with immunohistochemistry SP method and were analyzed statistically.Results The expression of Egr-1 in epidermal cells of hypertrophic scar was significantly higher than that in normal skin and flat scar tissue.The expression of Egr-1 increased in the course of scar proliferation.The distribution patterns of Nab2 were different from Egr-1.The expression of Egr-1 was increased,while expression of Nab2 was decreased.The expression of Cav-1 in normal skin and flat-cicatrix was significantly higher than that in hypertrophic scar.Conclusions The expression of Egr-1,Nab2 and Cav-1 is closely related to the formation of hypertrophic scar,and the up-regulated expression of Egr-1 and the deficient expression of Nab2 and Cav-1 may be the indicators of the progress of formation of hypertrophic scar.

Objective To investigate the expression of early growth response protein 1 (Egr-1),NGFI-A binding protein 2 (Nab2) and caveolin 1 (Cav-1) in normal skin,flat-cicatrix and hypertrophic scar,and explore its role in the formation of hypertrophic scar.Methods The expression of Egr-1,Nab2 and Cav-1 protein in 9 normal skin tissues,8 flat-cicatrix tissues and 9 hypertrophic scar tissues were examined with immunohistochemistry SP method and were analyzed statistically.Results The expression of Egr-1 in epidermal cells of hypertrophic scar was significantly higher than that in normal skin and flat scar tissue.The expression of Egr-1 increased in the course of scar proliferation.The distribution patterns of Nab2 were different from Egr-1.The expression of Egr-1 was increased,while expression of Nab2 was decreased.The expression of Cav-1 in normal skin and flat-cicatrix was significantly higher than that in hypertrophic scar.Conclusions The expression of Egr-1,Nab2 and Cav-1 is closely related to the formation of hypertrophic scar,and the up-regulated expression of Egr-1 and the deficient expression of Nab2 and Cav-1 may be the indicators of the progress of formation of hypertrophic scar.