Zinc is known to be important nutrient for normal growth of animals, plants and men. Especially, zinc is essential for the proper healing of wounds.
It is generally accepted that zinc deficieney interferes in someway with wound healing and this can be corrected or prevented by the administration of zinc containing compounds.
Giving zinc to a patient who is not zinc deficient will not improve wound healing and may be detrimental if excessive amounts of zinc are given.
In our study, the rate of healing of open wound on the dorsolateral aspects of normal rats has been observed after zinc ointment being given topically and following results were obtained.
1. Macroscopically, wound contraction rate was reduced significantly at postop. 15days, about 13% compared with that of control group.
2. Biochemically, alkaline phosphatase activity, which was a major part of fibroblast activity, was markedly increased in postop. 6 days and then abruptedly decreased in control group, but in zinc treatment group, slowly decreased and in postop. 15 days the activity was htgher than control group.
3. Histologically, phagocytosis was depressed or inhibited at postop. 3 ＆ 6 days quantatively comparing with that of control groups.
4. As an above results, local application of zinc ointment in treatment of keloid and hypertrophic scars is suggested to be effective, so further clinical investigatons are needed.
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