A Histological Study of Cutaneous Thermal Wounds Using a Clostridium perfringens‐Derived Wound Healing Substance with Wound Healing Stimulation Activity

We studied the effects of a Clostridium perfringens-derived wound-healing substance (WHS) on the healing of thermal burn wounds. Third-degree burn injuries were inflicted on the back skin of rats. We histologically evaluated the effects of WHS ointments and compared them with those of lysozyme chloride ointment. We observed the formation of dermal collagen fibers and the increase of capillaries in the WHS ointment treated groups. From the results of hematoxylin and eosin staining and silver staining, an increase in capillaries was observed one week after the application of WHS ointment. Three weeks after the application, when the epithelization was in the final stage, capillary formation ceased. In the WHS ointment-applied groups, electron microscopic observation showed that new collagen fibers were regularly formed in the dermis. On the other hand, in the lysozyme chloride ointment-applied groups, new collagen fibers were present, but were irregularly formed. The main wound healing stimulative action of the WHS ointment could be due to its acceleration of new capillary formation.