Effects of the oral administration of silver nanoparticles on wound healing in male rats

Abstract

Background For years, silver has been used for the treatment of skin injuries. Objective The effect of the oral administration of silver nanoparticles on the wound healing process in male rats was studied. Materials and methods In this experimental study, 30 Wistar male rats were randomly allocated to three groups – the control and two silver nanoparticles treatment groups (30ppm and 60ppm AgNPs concentration). In all rats, the full-thickness wound was induced under general anesthesia. At 12 days post-wounding, microscopic evaluation of wound healing – for example inflammatory cells, fibroblasts, angiogenesis and collagen density – was completed. Results The percentage of wound healing between the control and the treatment groups on the 12th day was significant (p<0.001). Moreover, the number of inflammatory cells was significantly higher in the control than in the treatment groups (p<0.001). The difference between the fibroblast number and collagen density was more in the treatment groups than in the control (p<0.001). Also, a considerable difference was observed between the number of inflammatory cells and fibroblasts in the 60ppm compared to the 30ppm concentration. Conclusion By inducing anti-inflammatory effects and increasing the proliferation of fibroblasts and the expression of collagen, silver nanoparticles at a concentration of 30ppm accelerated the wound healing process.