This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 146/10/4425    most recent Author Manuscript (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Copyright Permission Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Safer, J. D. Articles by Holick, M. F. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Safer, J. D. Articles by Holick, M. F.

Topical Thyroid Hormone Accelerates Wound Healing in Mice

Section of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Joshua D. Safer, M.D., Section of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Nutrition, Boston University School of Medicine, 715 Albany Street, Room M-1016, Boston, Massachusetts 02118. E-mail: jsafer{at}bu.edu.

Although the physiologic role of thyroid hormone in skin is not well understood, mounting evidence suggests that T₃ plays an important role in epidermal proliferation. The goal of this project was to evaluate whether the topical application of supraphysiologic doses of T₃ could accelerate wound healing. We evaluated mice treated with topical T₃ vs. the same mice receiving vehicle alone (Novasome A). Ten-millimeter diameter (79 mm²) dorsal skin wounds were established in all animals, and wounds were remeasured 4 d after injury. All animals were evaluated twice: once with the T₃ treatment and once with the vehicle alone. Daily topical application of 150 ng T₃ resulted in 58% greater wound closure relative to wounds on the same animals receiving vehicle alone (P < 0.001). Furthermore, we determined that wound healing-associated keratin 6 protein expression in hair follicle keratinocytes increased in a dose-dependent manner in vivo during topical T₃ treatment. The data support our previous hypothesis that T₃ is necessary for optimal wound healing. Now, we further suggest that topical thyroid hormone may be an inexpensive agent to hasten healing of certain wounds.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				Y. Sainte Marie, A. Toulon, R. Paus, E. Maubec, A. Cherfa, M. Grossin, V. Descamps, M. Clemessy, J.-M. Gasc, M. Peuchmaur, et al. Targeted Skin Overexpression of the Mineralocorticoid Receptor in Mice Causes Epidermal Atrophy, Premature Skin Barrier Formation, Eye Abnormalities, and Alopecia Am. J. Pathol., September 1, 2007; 171(3): 846 - 860. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]