Prostaglandins of the E-series inhibit connective tissue proliferation in the liver wound of the rat

The present study was undertaken to relate wound heating of an internal organ to prostaglandins of the E and F series. A small liver wound was induced by a galvanic cauter via the abdominal route under general anesthesia and prostaglandin E-1, E-2 and F-2 alpha were injected twice daily at a dose of 250 mu g/kg. Proliferation of the connective tissue in the liver wound was estimated morphometrically 6 days after liver wound infliction. Levels of prostaglandins E-2 and F-2 alpha were measured in the liver wound as well as in normal liver tissue from adjacent lobes using radioimmunoassay. The results show that exogenous prostaglandins of the E-series suppress connective tissue proliferation. Three minutes after the last prostaglandin E-2 injection, high prostaglandin concentrations were measured both in the tiver wound and in the liver tissue of the adjacent lobe. Prostaglandin F-2 alpha injections had no effect on wound heating. We believe that the rat thermic liver wound model can be used for different studies on wound heating mechanisms and that prostaglandins of the E-series are involved in wound heating in the specific time period studied. (c) 2005 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.