Intracellular delivery of adenosine triphosphate enhanced healing process in full-thickness skin wounds in diabetic rabbits.

BACKGROUND: Small unilamellar lipid vesicles were used to encapsulate adenosine triphosphate (ATP-vesicles) for intracellular energy delivery and were tested for diabetic skin wounds in rabbits.
METHODS: Diabetes was induced by alloxan. The mean peak blood glucose concentration was 505 mg/dL. One ear was made ischemic and 80 full-thickness wounds were created in 10 animals. ATP-vesicles or saline was used and healing was compared.
RESULTS: On the non-ischemic ears, mean closure time for ATP-vesicles-treated wounds was 13.7 days versus 16.4 days for saline-treated wounds (P < .05). On the ischemic ears, mean closure time for ATP-vesicles-treated wounds was 15.3 days versus 19.3 days for saline-treated wounds (P < .01). Histological study indicated better healing and re-epithelialization in the ATP-vesicles-treated wounds.
CONCLUSIONS: Intracellular delivery of ATP accelerated the healing process of diabetic skin wounds on ischemic and non-ischemic rabbit ears. The mechanisms deserve further study but may be related to improved cellular energy supplies. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.