Effect of Verapamil on Scar Formation in Early Wound Scarring of the Rabbit Ear.

Bae, Tae Hui; Kim, Woo Seob; Kim, Han Koo; Kim, Mi Kyoung

Original Article

Journal of the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons 2009;36(1):11-18.
Published online January 1, 2009.

Effect of Verapamil on Scar Formation in Early Wound Scarring of the Rabbit Ear.

Tae Hui Bae, Woo Seob Kim, Han Koo Kim, Mi Kyoung Kim

¹Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, College of Medicine, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea. kimws@cau.ac.kr
²Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea.

Abstract

PURPOSE
Excessive scarring in the forms of keloid and hypertrophic scar could be a consequence of the accumulation of granulation tissue cells due to aberrant control of apoptosis. Verapamil retard extracelluar matrix production and inhibits VEGF production in primary cultured keloid fibroblast. The object of this study is to identify the effects of verapamil on VEGF expression and apoptosis in early wound scarring of the rabbit ear. METHODS: Full thickness wounds were created on the ventral side of 6 New Zealand rabbits's ear. 16 days after initial wounding verapamil and saline were injected on each scars, and the scars were harvested for 1 week, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks. The wounds were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, TUNEL stain, immunohistochemical stain for VEGF and calculated scar elevation index.
RESULTS
Histologic analysis demonstrated significant reduction in inflammation, vascularity and improvement in dermal collagen organization in experimental group. In TUNEL staining apoptosis positive cells were increased and immunohistochemial staining of VEGF demonstrated significant reduction of VEGF expression in experimental group. No significant difference was noted in scar elevation index between two groups.
CONCLUSION
This study suggest that intralesional injection of verapamil on early wound scarring of the rabbit ear decreased VEGF production and increased apoptosis and have a benefit on the pathophysiology of scar formation.

Keywords: Scar; Verapamil; Apoptosis; VEGF