The Use of Platelet-Rich Plasma and Rosuvastatin in Wound Healing in Rabbits: A Longitudinal Study

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that platelet-rich plasma (PRP) improves wound healing in rabbits by analyzing morphologic alterations in lesions with the use of PRP alone or combined with rosuvastatin (RSV). METHODS: Eight adult male New Zealand rabbits were used in this study. Researchers created four wounds on the back of each rabbit with an 8-mm punch. The control wound was treated with a 0.9% sodium chloride solution. Experimental wounds were treated with PRP, RSV, or both PRP and RSV. Dressings were changed with a new application of PRP and RSV every 4 days for 16 days. Wounds were biopsied on days 0, 7, 10, 14, and 17 for histopathologic evaluation of the scar tissue. MAIN RESULTS: Histopathology revealed reepithelialization in 100% of wounds treated with PRP alone after 17 days of treatment, compared with 50% of wounds treated with RSV alone and 75% of the wounds treated with PRP and RSV. Further, combining RSV and PRP reduced blood loss. The use of PRP alone induced 100% neovascularization, compared with 50% and 62.5% in wounds treated with PRP and RSV and RSV alone, respectively. All experimental wounds had a higher percentage of collagen fibers on day 17 postlesion when compared with control wounds (78.27% ± 4.69%). There were no significant differences among treatments; however, wounds treated with RSV alone had the lowest amount of collagen fibers (85.98% ± 3.51%). Wounds treated with PRP alone or PRP and RSV had 90.07% ± 6.20% and 90.76% ± 3.51% collagen fibers, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate that PRP elicits higher healing activity in the first 7 days postlesion. Treatments with RSV alone or RSV and PRP did enhance other healing phases.