Apoptosis of hair follicle cells in the second-degree burn wound under hypernatremic conditions

Progressive burn wound necrosis is an important factor as a cause of delayed healing during clinical therapy of burns. Among the causes of progressive necrosis have been attributed an insufficient blood supply or a dehydration at the zone of stasis just beneath the zone of coagulation. In a previous study evidence was presented that hypernatremia, an osmotic injury, may act to promote progressive tissue or cell death of the superficial dermal wound resulting from a heat injury. To test this hypothesis pathological features of cell death in the second-degree burn wound in the rat with hypernatremia were investigated and evidence for apoptosis in hair follicle cells was observed. Rats in the hypernatremic group were administered 10 ml of hypertonic sodium solution (850 meq l(-1)) and the control rats were treated with 10 mi of hyponatremic solution (100 meq l(-1)) to prevent hypernatremia. After 24 h postburn the average incidence of hair follicles (ratio to the normal skin) in the hypernatremic group was 30.1 +/- 11.6 per cent and significantly lower when compared with the control group (87.6 +/- 6.0 percent). The numbers of hair follicles were studied by haematoxylin and eosin stain, and the apoptotic process was investigated by an immunochemical assay and electron microscopy. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd for ISBI, All rights reserved.