Influence of cisplatin on wound healing—an experimental model

Abstract

Recent clinical studies have shown that adjuvant chemotherapy may improve response rates to treatment for advanced head and neck carcinomas. Given preoperatively, some chemotherapeutic agents adversely affect wound healing. The specific purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of cisplatin on wound healing when it is given preoperatively. Forty-four Swiss outbred mice were divided into control and treatment groups. One week before surgery, the treatment group received cisplatin (2 mg/kg body weight) by subcutaneous injections on 2 consecutive days. Each control animal was given an equal volume of normal saline. A 1.5 cm transverse incision was made in each animal, and wounds were closed with surgical staples. The mean wound-breaking strength was determined for a minimum of 5 treatment and 5 control mice on postoperative days 6, 10, 13, and 16. Serum creatinine, blood cell counts, and changes in weight were also monitored. Results showed wound strength on postoperative day 10 to be significantly reduced in mice treated with cisplatin (P less than 0.05). There was no significant difference for wound strength on any other days and all other variables were similar between both groups. In conclusion, cisplatin has an adverse effect on wound healing, the peak of which probably occurs during the proliferative stage of wound healing. Further studies are needed to determine the optimal time for surgery after preoperative chemotherapy. All new chemotherapeutic agents, particularly those being considered in a preoperative regimen, should be tested in this manner.