Nicotinamide enhances skin flap survival.

The effects of nicotinamide in an abdominal island pedicle skin flap were examined. A 7 x 7 cm island pedicle skin flap ligating the left inferior neurovascular pedicle was created on 50 male Sprague Dawley rats (250-275 grams) that were divided into five groups. Animals received either 0.6 cc of saline or doses of nicotinamide for 16 days (14 days preoperatively and 2 days postoperatively): 25 mg b.i.d., 50 mg b.i.d., 100 mg b.i.d. or 200 mg b.i.d. Forty-eight hours postoperatively each animal received 25 mg of Fluorescein via the tail vein. The area of necrosis was visualized and quantified and is presented as % survival. A one factor Fisher PLSD test was performed with a statistical significance of p less than 0.05 with the results as follows: saline 58.8%, 25 mg 68.6%, 50 mg 82%, 100 mg 80.8%, and 200 mg 86%. From this data it would appear that the angiogenic factor nicotinamide may increase random flap survival.