Figure 4
Histology of healing wounds reveals accelerated wound re-epithelialization with Q-Peptide Hydrogel treatment. (A) Representative Hemotoxylin and Eosin stained cryosections from the middle of wounds at 14, and 28 days post wounding (DPW). Yellow arrow heads indicate measurements used for wound gap. SB = 1 mm. Inset SB = 0.1 mm. (B) Immunostained tissue sections on day 14 and day 28 for K14 (Green), Loricin (Red) and Hoechst (Blue). SB = 500 μm. (C) Qualitative histology scoring (1–12, with higher scores indicating greater granulation tissue filling, re-epithelialization, and reduction of cellular infiltration) shows a trend (p = 0.09) toward faster and more complete wound healing following treatment with Q-Peptide Hydrogel. (D) Significantly faster re-epithelialization of wounds treated with Q-Peptide Hydrogel was observed at earlier timepoints (days 14 and 21, p < 0.05). (E) Measured rete ridge ratio at D28 for no treatment, collagen scaffold, Peptide-free hydrogel, and Q-Peptide Hydrogel. (F) Measurement of epithelial thickness in healing wounds revealed thickening of neoepidermis in all groups at early timepoints (day 14 and 21) compared with uninjured human skin (dashed line +/− SD, area shaded in grey). Treatment with Q-Peptide Hydrogel promoted more complete return to pre-injury epidermal thickness by day 28 compared with no treatment control. *p < 0.05, *p < 0.05 (collagen scaffold significantly less than other treatments) **p < 0.005, E = No treatment, C = collagen scaffold, H = Peptide-free hydrogel, QH = Q-Peptide Hydrogel, N = 3–5.
