Construction Of A Rabbit Ear Model Of Non-Healing Wound Transfixion Ligation Combined Punch Method

Background:In the past, the constructed rabbit ear models of non-he-aling were limited to simple models of ischemia, while the model of both ischemia and congestion has been rarely reported.Objective:To establish a non-healing wound model for ischemia and congestion with rabbit ears.Methods:20New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into two groups, the suture ligature and punch group (experiment group) and the punch merely group (control group). All blood vessel of the full-layer skin from rabbit ears were ligated and three circular wounds of the diameter6mm and the depth of cartilage surface at dorsal ears were made by biopsy punch about10th day after operation in the experiment group.Compared with the experiment group, the blood vessel in the control group were not ligated and punched simply. The wounds were sterilized with0.5%iodophors three times a day. The change of wounds from rabbit ears and the time of wounds healing were observed, and hematoxylin-eosin staining and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) Immunohistochemical staining were made at7th,14th and21st day after punching operation to observe granulation tissue growth, epidermidalization extent and VEGF expression conditions of granulation tissue.Results:The color of rabbit ears in the experiment group showed immediately deep violet-black after ligating operation and continuously showed somewhat violet-black, violet and somewhat violet at10th,20th and30th day.The time of granulation tissue growth and wound healing were recorded respectively about third-4th and16th-18th days in the experiment group and first-second and11st-13rd days in the control group. Compared with the control group, the time of granulation tissue growth, the time of wound healing (P<0.01) and epidermidalization in the experiment group were delayed and VEGF expression were lower(P<0.01).Conclusion:The model of the suture ligature and punch established is simple and reliable as an ideal animal study model of non-healing wound healing for ischemia and congestion.