Altered Ovarian Regulation of Wound Healing during Aging

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Abstract
The healing rate of full-thickness skin lesions is slower in senescent female rats (22-23 mo.) than in their young adult (5-6 mo.) counterparts. Fifty percent wound closure times were 9.46 .+-. 0.31 and 6.45 .+-. 0.40 days, respectively (P < 0.001). Ovariectomy significantly slows the healing process in the mature group but not in the senescent animals. Treatment of ovariectomized rats with low-dose estradiol (0.3 .mu.g/kg body wt) restores the healing rate to nearly normal in mature rats and accelerates the healing rate relative to sham-operated controls in senescent rats. Decreased healing rates in senescent female rats may be due in part to reduced estrogenic healing potentiation.