A comparison of the effects of cyclosporin A and standard agents on primary wound healing in the rat.

Eighty-six Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly allocated to three treatment groups given tap water (control group), cyclosporin A (CSA group) and azathioprine and prednisone (AP group). Two incisions, one skin and one musculofascial, were made in each rat with a standardized technique. The healed incisions were subjected to tensiometery at days eight and 15 after operation. Histologic examination was undertaken on some wounds. The results indicate that cyclosporin A in clinical doses does not inhibit skin or musculofascial healing in the rat. Azathioprine and prednisone immunosuppression significantly retarded skin healing on day eight postoperatively although this had returned to control levels on day 15. Azathioprine and prednisone did not affect musculofascial healing at the administered dose. In the sections available for study, there were no qualitative histologic differences between groups at both days eight and 15 postoperatively.