Assessment of Cutaneous Wound Healing Potential of Hyaluronic Acid and Chitosan in Dogs

Abstract

Several new topical products have been applied to enhance wound healing and reduce scar formation. The present study aimed to evaluate the potential of the topically applied hyaluronic acid (HA) serum and chitosan (CH) gel for skin wound healing in dogs. Ten adult mongrel dogs were divided into two groups (n = 5 for each). Experimental skin wounds were created in all animals. Eight full-thickness round skin wounds of 2 cm diameter were made on both sides (four for each side) over the dog's dorsal area, where the left side wounds were kept as a control and treated with saline solution only. HA serum and CH gel were used to treat the right-side wounds in the first and second groups, respectively. Wound healing was evaluated clinically and histologically at the 7^th, 14^th, and 21^st days post-treatment. In addition, the tensile strength was measured in both treated wound groups and compared with the control wounds and the normal skin. The results showed that HA-treated wounds exhibited higher wound contraction and better tensile strength compared with CH-treated group. In addition, the histological findings of HA-treated wounds showed marked improvement in histological repair scores compared with CH-treated ones. We concluded that topical HA in a serum formulation provided better skin wound healing compared to CH-treated group.