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.
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