Regularity of wound healing in rats irradiated locally with different doses of soft X-rays

Objective: To study the regular patter of wound healing in rats irradiated locally with different doses of soft X-rays. Methods: Rats were locally irradiated, and wounded immediately thereafter. Gross observation, histopathology and immunohistochemistry examinations, and image analysis were used to study the wound healing process. Results: The authors found that the delayed time of wound healing induced by soft X-ray irradiation of 0.50, 1.01, 1.96, 3,26, 4.00, 5.21 Gy was 1.6, 4.2, 5.4, 6.6, 8.2 and 9.4 days, respectively. Irradiation with 7.0 and 10.0 Gy caused failure of wound healing (up to 40 days). Compared to the non-irradiated wounds, the healing rates of irradiation-impaired wounds were lower during the whole healing process. From day 3 to day 9 after irradiation, the healing rates decreased along with increasing of the radiation dose, indicating the key phase of wound healing was delayed. After irradiation, the collagen synthesis was decreased, its arrangement was disordered, and the structure of granulation tissue was irregular. Conclusion: Soft X-rays irradiation may cause a delay of wound healing in a dose-dependent manner, and irradiation with 7.0 and 10.0 Gy cause failure of wound healing