Abstract: Objective To investigate the effect of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids ( ω-3 PUFAs) on wound healing in rats with chronic refractory wounds. Methods SD rats were randomlyseparated into 6 groups: normal group, model group, ω-3 PUFAs low-, medium-, and high-dose groups, and Beifuxin group, with 10 rats in each group. Except for the normal group, the rats in the other groups were constructed with a chronic refractory wound model, and the wound healing ratio of the rats was measured after being treated with ω-3 PUFAs or Beifuxin. HE staining was used to determine the morphological structure of wound tissues. Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the expression of Collagen Ⅱ and fibrin-binding protein (FN) and the expression of CD31 in the wound tissues to evaluate their microvascular density (MVD). ELISA detected the serum levels of pro-inflammatory factors TNF-α and IL-6. Western blotting was used to detect the expression levelsof pro-inflammatory factors and VEGF and TGF-β1 proteins in wound tissues. Results The levels ofTNF-α and IL-6, MVD, positive expressions of Collagen Ⅱ and FN, and the expression levels of TNF-α and IL-6, VEGF, TGF-β1 proteins in the model group were higher than those in the normalgroup (P < 0. 05). Compared with those in the model group, the levels of TNF-α and IL-6 and theprotein expression levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in the ω-3 PUFAs low-, medium-and high-dose groups and the Beifuxin group were decreased, the wound healing ratio, MVD, positive expressions ofCollagen Ⅱ and FN, the protein expression levels of VEGF and TGF-β1 were increased ( P < 0. 05). The changes in each index among ω-3 PUFAs groups were dose-dependent (P < 0. 05). No significant change was seen when compared those indexes between the Beifuxin group and the ω-3PUFAs high-dose group ( P > 0. 05). Conclusion  ω-3 PUFAs can inhibit wound inflammation,promote angiogenesis, and upregulate the expression of VEGF and TGF-β1, and promote the healing of chronic refractory wounds.

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