The effects of lateral electric fields on the epithelization of wound healing in the newt, Notophthalmus viridescens, and the electric fields associated with epithelial wounds in the bovine cornea
Abstract
Electrical fields have been suggested to be important in promoting wound healing. Electrical currents have been used in attempts to accelerate mammalian wound healing. However, the evidence that electrical fields can promote wound healing is circumstantial, and the results of attempts to accelerate mammalian wound healing by applying electrical currents to the wounds are difficult to interpret. In order to know if electrical fields can indeed promote wound healing, and to provide a rationale for treating poorly healing mammalian wounds with added electrical currents, I studied the effect of electrical fields on wound epithelization in the newt skin, and measured the lateral fields in regions close to corneal epithelial wounds. In the vicinity of newt skin wound, lateral electric fields of magnitude around 60 mV/mm were measured. These fields were manipulated electrically (with added currents) and chemically (with benzamil), and the effect of the manipulation on wound epithelization assessed. Whatever the method of manipulation was, when the wound lateral fields were nullified or reversed, wound epithelization was retarded. The effect of benzamil on wound epithelization was rescued by restoring the lateral fields electrically. In the vicinity of bovine corneal epithelial wounds, lateral fields of magnitudes around 40 mV/mm were found to exist on the tear side of the cornea. However, on the stromal side of the wounded cornea, very little (0-2 mV/mm) fields were measured. The tear side lateral field has a polarity that is more positive at the wound than away from it, which is opposite to that found in the newt skin.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Vanable, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Zoology|Veterinary services
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