Nitric oxide restores impaired healing in normoglycaemic diabetic rats

Objective: Hyperglycaemia impairs wound healing. However, little is known about the underlying cellular mechanisms that lead to diminished wound repair in insulin-controlled and non-insulin-controlled diabetes. This study investigated the role of endogenous and exogenous nitric oxide on incisional wound healing in diabetic rats. Method: Groups of 10 wild-type Wistar control rats — 10 genetically diabetic BioBreeding rats and 10 genetically diabetic BioBreeding rats treated with subcutaneous insulin implants to render them normoglycaemic — underwent dorsal skin incision followed by subcutaneous insertion of polyvinyl alcohol sponges. The rats were sacrificed 10 days later to determine the wound-breaking strength and reparative collagen deposition. Nitric oxide, an important mediator in diabetic wound healing and collagen synthesis, was measured in wound fluid. Wound-derived fibroblasts were tested for ex vivo synthesis of nitric oxide and collagen. Exogenous nitric oxide was used for the therapeutic interv...