ABSTRACT
The effects of vitamin A on wound healing and thymus weight were studied in postoperative rats. Serum vitamin A level was significantly lowered in rats (group I) received vitamin A 6?g ? 100g bw-1?d-1. per os as.compared to the uninjured control received the same dose of vitamin A. The thymus in group I was significantly atrophic than the control. In rats received vitamin A 25?g?100g bw-1?d-1 (group Ⅱ), serum vitamin A level was kept normal and the thymus was unchanged. The histological change of the skin during wound healing nearly approached normal, and the tensile strength of the healed wound was markedly greater than in group Ⅰ. In rats received vitamin A 50?g?100g bw-1?d-1 (group Ⅲ), the effect on wound healing and the thymus was not better than group Ⅱ. A suitable dosage of vitamin A in wound healing was about 25?g?100g bw-1?d-1, i.e. 4 times the normal allowances of the rat.