Effects of polyprenoic acid on thermal injury.

This study was designed to determine the effect of polyprenoic acid on wound healing in rats after thermal injury and to compare the effect with healing in vitamin A deficient controls and in retinol-fed vitamin A deficient rats. Both polyprenoic acid and retinol visibly accelerated wound healing after thermal injury. Both enhanced the induction of platelets in the peripheral blood but neutrophils were not affected by polyprenoic acid. Histologically, in the hypo-vitamin A rat, polyprenoic acid administration increased both capillary formation and also the production of fibroblasts and collagen deposition in the wound by comparison with control vitamin A deficient animals; similar effects were produced by retinol feeding. These results indicate that both polyprenoic acid and retinol can facilitate wound healing. 3H-thymidine incorporation into dermal tissues showed that in polyprenoid-fed rats capillaries multiplied 1.3 times, epithelial cells 2.1 times, and fibroblasts 2.0 times faster than those in vitamin A-deficient animals; 3H-thymidine incorporation was greater after polyprenoid feeding than after retinol feeding. Polyprenoid thus stimulates both collagen deposition and neo-vascularization within burns, and so accelerates healing.