The effect of fibronectin therapy and fibronectin deficiency on healing of rat burns and excision wounds.

Rats with standardized burns and skin excision wounds were treated i.p. with human fibronectin or swine skin gelatin. Controls received bovine albumin, solvent, or no treatment. Wound healing was assessed by planimetry, additionally plasma fibronectin was determined. Solvent or albumin did not influence the healing process, neither did fibronectin. However, when opsonizing fibronectin was additionally consumed by application of gelatin, a significant retardation of wound healing was observed. The results support the opinion that fibronectin is of essential importance for posttraumatic opsonization of gelatin-like material originating from the damaged tissue.