Vitamin E Reduces Oxidative Stress Markers and Modulates Wound Repair in Aged Animals

Previous studies from our laboratory demonstrated an age-related functional decline in wound repair. Emerging evidence from our group and others favours the involvement of oxidative damage in the pathogenesis of age-related deficits. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of vitamin E therapy on modulating oxidative stress markers and repair of full-thickness wounds in aged animals. Twenty four-month-old Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with vitamin E for short-term (40mg/kg, i.p. every other day for 2 weeks) or long-term (for 12 months in advance, 10g/kg, incorporated in food). The results indicate that both treatments were effective in reducing oxidative damage and in accelerating wound closure in aged rats. However, an initial increase in wound size was observed in both treated groups. This side effect of a single antioxidant therapy could reflect the importance of oxidants in the early stages of the repair process.