Effect of Blockade of Tumor Necrosis Factor-α with Etanercept on Surgical Wound Healing in SWISS-OF1 Mice

Objective. To assess whether blockade of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) influences surgical wound healing in a normal mouse experimental model. Methods. Wound healing time course and degree of surgical wound collagenization were measured by morphological techniques and digital image analysis in 80 male SWISS-OF1 mice (40 received subcutaneous etanercept at a dose of 0.1 mg/25g/at -7, 0, 7, and 14 days). Results. No significant differences were observed between treated and untreated animals in wound healing, re-epithelialization, or formation of inflammatory infiltrate or granulation tissue at days 7, 15, or 20 after surgery. At 20 days, the collagen area was larger in treated versus untreated mice (109029 +/- 28489 mu m(2) vs 79305 +/- 19798 mu m(2), p = 0.026, Mann-Whitney U test). Conclusion. Surgical wounds showed a higher degree of collagenization at 20 days in etanercept-treated versus untreated mice, with no differences in the time course of wound healing. These data suggest that biological therapies to block TNF-alpha do not affect wound healing and do not need to be suspended during the perioperative period. (First Release Sept 1 2009; J Rheumatol 2009;36;2144-8; doi: 10.3899/jrheum.081285)