The scar-reducing effect of a novel chitosan gel: an in vivo study.

OBJECTIVE: Scar tissue formation, as a normal part of wound healing, initiates in the proliferation phase, continues after the remodelling phase, and may cause an unpleasant appearance or disruption in normal functioning. This study investigated the effects of a topical gel on acute wound healing and reducing scars in a rat model. METHOD: ChitoScar (ChitoTech Company, Iran), a commercial scar-reducing gel based on chitosan, was analysed for antibacterial and antiviral activity through a quantitative suspension test. Its cytotoxic effect was investigated, and then irritation and delayed-type hypersensitivity tests were carried out on rabbits through direct application of the gel. Furthermore, the effect of the chitosan-based gel on wound healing and scar tissue formation was studied in rats with an acute wound in two groups: the treatment group (topical application of the chitosan-based gel); and the control group (without treatment). Histopathological examination was carried out based on the inflammatory cells, collagen fibre, keratinocytes and fibroblasts. RESULTS: Analysis revealed that the chitosan-based gel had no cytotoxicity and caused no erythema, oedema, local or other systemic adverse response. Wound healing occurred earlier in the treatment group, which was a result of a significant increase in re-epithelialisation, angiogenesis, fibroblast population and collagen fibre thickness (p<0.05). In the treatment group, wounds healed completely after 21 days and scars totally disappeared after 28 days, while in the control group, wound healing remained incomplete with distinct scar tissue. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrated the positive effect of the chitosan-based gel on the duration and quality of the wound healing process, as well as minimising the scar tissue formation in this in vivo study.

Comparison of topical nanocolloidal silver formulation use with eosin 2% solution in management of hard-to-heal ulcers in patients with pemphigus vulgaris.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of a nanocolloidal silver-based gel called SilvoGel (ChitoTech, Iran) versus eosin (prepared by Razi Hospital, Iran) among patients with immunobullous disease. METHOD: This blind, randomised controlled study was carried out on patients with pemphigus vulgaris who had hard-to-heal ulcers, divided into two equal-sized groups: one treatment group receiving the nanocolloidal silver-based gel and the control group receiving the conventional eosin. RESULTS: A total of 32 patients participated in the study. In both the treatment and control groups, ulcer area, exudate and tissue type improved significantly (p<0.001 for all measures). A significantly higher rate of improvement in ulcer area was observed in the treatment group compared with the control group (p<0.001). Both patient and physician satisfaction were significantly higher in the treatment group compared with the control group (p=0.003 and p=0.01, respectively). CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that use of the nanocolloidal silver-based gel for treating patients with immunobullous disease including pemphigus could potentially increase the rate and quality of wound healing.