%0 Journal Article
%T Tryptophan intrinsic fluorescence from wound healing correlates with re-epithelialization in a rabbit model.
%A Duran-Padilla M
%A Serrano-Loyola R
%A Perez-Garcia A
%A Carrillo-Betancourt R
%A Campos-García Rojas C
%A Reyes-Alberto M
%A Franco W
%A Hernandez-Ruiz J
%A Gutierrez-Herrera E
%J Skin Res Technol
%V 30
%N 7
%D 2024 Jul
%M 38923076
%F 2.24
%R 10.1111/srt.13834
%X BACKGROUND: Wound healing monitoring and timely decision-making are critical for wound classification. Tryptophan (Tr) intrinsic fluorescence, detected at 295/340 nm, provides a noninvasive approach for wound assessment. Our previous work demonstrated that this autofluorescence is associated with keratinocytes in a highly proliferative state in vitro.
OBJECTIVE: We investigated the correlation between Tr fluorescence and key wound healing parameters, including re-epithelialization, fibrosis, neovascularization, and acute and chronic inflammation, using a rabbit model.
METHODS: Seven rabbits underwent wound healing assessment over a 15-day period. We employed histological analysis from central and marginal biopsies, and UV fluorescence imaging captured by a monochromatic near-UV sensitive camera equipped with a passband optical filter (340 nm/12 nm). Excitation was achieved using a 295 nm LEDs ring lamp. Normalized fluorescence values were correlated with histological measurements using Pearson correlation.
RESULTS: The UV fluorescence strongly exhibited a strong correlation with re-epithelization (r = 0.8) at the wound edge, with peak intensity observed between the sixth and ninth days. Notably, wound-healing dynamics differed between the wound center and edge, primarily attributed to variations in re-epithelialization, neovascularization, and chronic inflammation.
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight the presence of autofluorescence at 295/340 nm during wound healing, demonstrating a robust association with re-epithelialization. This excitation/emission signal holds promise as a valuable noninvasive strategy for monitoring wound closure, re-epithelialization, and other biological processes where Tr plays a pivotal role.