Objective: 

To explore the effects of reinforcing qi and nourishing blood recipes on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and the microvessel count (MVC)in granulation tissue in rats with chronic skin ulcers.

Methods:

A total of 90 male SD rats with back full-thickness skin lesion were used in this study. Except for the normal control group, the rats were injected with hydrocortisone for inducing chronic skin ulcers, and were randomly divided into untreated group, Sijunzi Decoction group, Siwu Decoction group and Bazhen Decoction group. The time of wound healing was observed; immunohistochemical method and image analytical method were used to test the expressions of VEGF and MVC in granulation tissue of dermal chronic ulcers in the rats.

Results:

In the untreated group, the time of wound healing was significantly longer than that in the normal group (P<0.01). The time of wound healing was obviously shortened in the three treated groups as compared with the untreated group (P<0.01, P<0.05). In the Sijunzi Decoction group, the time of wound healing was obviously shorter than those in Siwu Decoction group and Bazhen Decoction group (P<0.05, P<0.01). In the untreated group, the expression of VEGF and MVC were significantly lower than those in the normal control group (P<0.01). The expression of VEGF and MVC were obviously increased in the three treated groups as compared with those in the untreated group (P<0.01, P<0.05). In the Sijunzi Decoction group, the expression of VEGF and MVC were obviously lower than those in Siwu Decoction group and Bazhen Decoction group (P<0.05, P<0.01).

Conclusion: 

Reinforcing qi and nourishing blood recipes can promote wound healing in rats through up-regulating the expression of VEGF in granulation tissue of dermal chronic ulcers, and inducing angiogenesis.

Key words: dermal chronic ulcer, wound healing, qi-blood reinforcing, vascular endothelial growth factor, rats