Influence of Agents Used for Topical Wound Treatment on Phagocyte Stimulation and Fibroblast Growth

Wound healing has always been a fascinating phenomenon for physicians and surgeons. Wounds usually close by forming new granulation tissue, contracting, and re-epithelializing. Before granulation begins, polymor-phonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) and monocytes/macrophages (MCs) are chemotactically attracted to sites of injury. Upon contact with various stimuli in the wound including bioactive lipids, complement components, certain cytokines, e.g., tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) [1], granulocyte/ monocyte-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), and interleukin-8, and particles such as microorganisms, phagocytes respond by a respiratory burst consisting of a markedly enhanced upt…