HGF gene therapy to promote wound healing of injury with seawater immersion:an experimental study

Objective To study the effect of gene therapy of human hepatocyte growth factor(HGF) on wound healing of injury with seawater immersion.Methods Twenty healthy Wistar rats of 20 weeks old were divided randomly into five groups,including injury group,injury with seawater immersion group and 0 μg,20 μg and 40 μg treated groups.A rat model of bilateral incised wounds accompanied by seawater immersion was used.The recombinant plasmids carrying human hepatocyte growth factor gene pUDKH were injected at 4 points around wounds by an INJEX needleless injection system.The healing process was observed each day and the size of the wound surface was measured.Wound tissues were obtained at d 1,d 6,d 12 and d 16,and studied by pathological analysis after HE staining.Results Compared with injury with seawater immersion group and 0 μg treated group,the size of wound surface in rats of both 20 μg and 40 μg treated groups was apparently smaller at each time poins since d 2.When the test animals were treated with pUDKH,the relief of the inflammatory reaction was observed at d 1,and improvement of neovascularization,granulation tissue and the process of re-epithelization were observed at d 6.The total time of wound healing was shortened by 2 or 3 days in the rats of the 20 μg and 40 μg pUDKH treated groups compared with the injury with seawater immersion and the 0 μg treated groups.Conclusion HGF gene therapy may promote wound healing of injury accompanied by seawater immersion.The function of HGF is to inhibit inflammation and to promote the formation of neovascularization and re-epithelization.