Relationship of Food Intake to the Effect of Cortisone Acetate on Skin Wound Healing

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Summary Healing of standardized skin wounds was studied in rats treated with graded doses of cortisone acetate. The anorexic effects of the drug were controlled by pair-feeding of control groups. On the 3rd day after wounding, cortisone treatment or pair-feeding did not significantly alter the tensile strength of the skin wounds. However, on the 9th day both the cortisone-treated rats and their pair-fed controls demonstrated significant reductions in skin wound tensile strength when compared to controls on unrestricted food intake. On the other hand, if the cortisone-treated animals were compared to their respective pair-fed controls, significant reductions in healing were observed only with high doses of steroid. Low doses of cortisone thus interfere with wound healing by inducing a mild anorexia; this effect is duplicated by food restriction without drugs. Large doses of steroid impair wound healing and also induce a drastic body weight loss; neither of these effects is duplicated by food restriction alone.