CARNOSINE, HISTIDINE, AND WOUND-HEALING

  • 1 January 1982
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 91  (1) , 56-60
Abstract
The relationships among carnosine, histidine and wound healing were examined in rats fed either 100 or 50% of the reported histidine required for growth. Animals fed the adequate amount of histidine grew more rapidly and more efficiently than did animals on the low-histidine diet. When the rats reached the experimental weight range of 165-180 g, they were anesthetized and wounded with back skin incision; a polyvinylchloride sponge was implanted under the skin before closure of the wound. Seven days after wounding, the histidine-sufficient animals had greater regenerative skin-breaking strength, collagen deposition and tissue concentrations of free histidine and carnosine. Histidine and carnosine treatment (1 mg/100 g body wt/day i.p.) for 7 days after wounding increased tissue free-histidine concentrations and brought skin-breaking strength and collagen deposition up to normal in the animals on the low-histidine diet but did not further improve healing in the histidine-sufficient animals. Treatment with carnosine was similar, but slightly better than treatment with histidine. An interaction between carnosine and stress is suggested; carnosine is implicated as a histidine reserve in relation to histamine synthesis during trauma.