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Open Access Effects of Buprenorphine, Chlorhexidine, and Low-level Laser Therapy on Wound Healing in Mice

Systemic buprenorphine and topical antiseptics such as chlorhexidine are frequently used in research animals to aid in pain control and to reduce infection, respectively. These therapeutics are controversial, especially when used in wound healing studies, due to conflicting data suggesting that they delay wound healing. Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) has been used to aid in wound healing without exerting the systemic effects of therapies such as buprenorphine. We conducted 2 studies to investigate the effects of these common treatment modalities on the rate of wound healing in mice. The first study used models of punch biopsy and dermal abrasion to assess whether buprenorphine HCl or 0.12% chlorhexidine delayed wound healing. The second study investigated the effects of sustained-released buprenorphine, 0.05% chlorhexidine, and LLLT on excisional wound healing. The rate of wound healing was assessed by obtaining photographs on days 0, 2, 4, 7, and 9 for the punch biopsy model in study 1, days 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 11, and 13 for the dermal abrasion model in study 1, and days 0, 3, 6, and 10 for the mice in study 2. Image J software was used to analyze the photographed wounds to determine the wound area. When comparing the wound area on the above days to the original wound area, no significant differences in healing were observed for any of the treatment groups at any time period for either study. Given the results of these studies, we believe that systemic buprenorphine, topical chlorhexidine, and LLLT can be used without impairing or delaying wound healing in mice.

Document Type: Research Article

Affiliations: 1: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Comparative & Molecular Pathogenesis Branch, National Toxicology Program, Durham, North Carolina;, Email: [email protected] 2: Charles River Laboratories, Durham, North Carolina 3: Integrated Laboratory Systems, LLC., Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 4: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Clinical Research Branch, Durham, North Carolina 5: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Biostatistics & Computational Biology Branch, Durham, North Carolina 6: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Comparative & Molecular Pathogenesis Branch, National Toxicology Program, Durham, North Carolina 7: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Comparative Medicine Branch, Durham, North Carolina

Publication date: June 1, 2021

This article was made available online on April 16, 2021 as a Fast Track article with title: "Effects of Buprenorphine, Chlorhexidine, and Low-level Laser Therapy on Wound Healing in Mice".

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  • Comparative Medicine (CM), an international journal of comparative and experimental medicine, is the leading English-language publication in the field and is ranked by the Science Citation Index in the upper third of all scientific journals. The mission of CM is to disseminate high-quality, peer-reviewed information that expands biomedical knowledge and promotes human and animal health through the study of laboratory animal disease, animal models of disease, and basic biologic mechanisms related to disease in people and animals.

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