J.Jpn. Surg. Soc.. 88(9): 1251-1255, 1987

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Report on the annual meeting

EFFECT OF ZINC RE-DISTRIBUTION ON WOUND HEALING DURING TOTAL PARENTERAL NUTRITION (TPN)

Our previous experiment showed that re-distribution of zinc in body tissues was induced during TPN especially in protein malnourished rats. In this study, wound healing in anastomosed intestine, sutured muscle layer and skin layer was examined as related to each tissue zinc concentration. Thiry Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 200gm were assigned to following groups : Group I (N=15), fed with regular chow for 4 weeks ; Group II (N=15), protein-free special chow for 4 weeks. In each group, 5 rats served as control, end-to-end anastomosis was made at terminal ileum. TPN with zinc (Group Ia, IIa : 2μmol/kg/day) and without zinc (Ib, IIb) was performed for 6 days postoperatively (N=5 in each group).
In Group I, there was no significant difference between Group Ia and Ib in bursting pressure (BP) of intestinal anastomosis, tensile strength (TS) of sutured muscle wound and skin wound, zinc concentrations in each tissue and collagen-hydroxyproline content (HYP) in each wound. On the other hand, the reduction of TS and HYP in skin wound was marked in Group IIb compared to Group IIa accompanied with decrease of skin zinc concentration.
In conclusion, zinc re-distribution was manifested in protein malnutrition during TPN and it may affect wound healing process especially in the skin.

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