Do nutritional alterations contribute to adriamycin-induced impaired wound healing?

Adriamycin-impaired wound healing in mice was found to be related to the degree of weight loss which in turn was dependent on the dose given. Treated animals had an initial decrease in food consumption that correlated with initial weight loss. After approximately 7 days, food consumption returned to normal but the weight loss persisted. Both Adriamycin-treated mice and animals pair fed the amount of food consumed by drug-treated mice had wounds significantly weaker than control animals at 7 and 11 days. The Adriamycin-treated animals had 11-day wound strengths equal to or weaker than the pair fed group. By Day 14, the pair fed animals had wounds similar to those of controls but the Adriamycin-treated animals remained significantly weaker than the other groups. We feel that initially Adriamycin produces a short-term nutritional deficit that contributes to early wound healing impairment. Later, the toxicity of the drug predominates in altering wound repair.