ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Hard-to-heal wounds present a major medical problem. The anticonvulsant drug phenytoin has been shown to have prohealing effects in various types of wounds. In this study we evaluated the effect of phenytoin on some phases of wound healing in a rat excision wound model. METHODS: A total of 98 adult male Wistar rats were used in this study. The effect of phenytoin ointment on the time for complete wound closure, as well as its biochemical and histological effects were evaluated in an excision wound. In addition, mechanical effect of phenytoin was evaluated in an incision wound rat model. RESULTS: Phenytoin hastened the healing and increased protein and hydroxyproline contents as well as histological collagenization of excision wounds. In addition, it increased the tensile strength in incision wound model. CONCLUSION: This study is the first to profile in detail the effects of phenytoin on morphology and biochemistry of excision wounds. We have shown that phenytoin not only shortens the time for wound healing but also improves the quality of the healing tissue. These effects are sought for in various clinical settings in which unaided healing is inconveniently prolonged or where the forming scar is not fully developed, allowing relapse of the wound.
