Background
We recently created and reported a novel murine model of frostbite injury that mimics human skin pathophysiology, with the intent of allowing screening-type testing of therapeutic interventions directed against frostbite.
Objective
Using this model, the current investigation tested a poly-arginine compound for the treatment of frostbite injury.
Methods
A unique topical compound containing poly-arginine was tested. There were 7 subject conditions: pretreatment with placebo, pretreatment with compound, posttreatment with placebo, posttreatment with compound, pretreatment and posttreatment with placebo, pretreatment and posttreatment with compound, and untreated (control). Mice were monitored for 28 days for healing rate and tissue loss until the wounds were fully healed. Certain mice were sacrificed at scheduled intervals during this 28-day period for histologic analysis. Wounds were measured to calculate wound size and tissue loss.
Results
There was a decrease (<40% in both pretreatment and pretreatment/posttreatment conditions versus >43% in all other conditions) in tissue loss in the mice treated with poly-arginine. All conditions completely healed (100% epithelialization) by day 27, with the placebo conditions showing complete healing sooner (day 20 vs day 25) than subjects treated with poly-arginine. Histologic analysis was performed for neovascularization, reepithelialization, inflammation, and tissue necrosis.
Conclusions
In a murine model for frostbite injury, this unique poly-arginine compound shows a potentially beneficial effect. That warrants testing it on a larger animal model more closely resembling frostbite injury leading to limb loss.