The effect of topical tripeptide-copper complex on healing of ischemic open wounds

Canapp SO Jr, Farese JP, Schultz GS, Gowda S, Ishak AM, Swaim SF, Vangilder J, Lee-Ambrose L, Martin FG · Veterinary Surgery

By day 13 wound area had fallen 64.5% with the copper tripeptide, 45.6% with vehicle and 28.2% untreated. Treated wounds held significantly lower TNF-α, MMP-2 and MMP-9 than controls at days 6, 10 and 13 — gelatinases down here, where the fibroblast-culture work had them up.

Population

24 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats with 6 mm full-thickness wounds inside an ischemic bipedicle skin flap

Intervention

Topical GHK tripeptide-copper complex 2% gel daily for 13 days

Comparator

Vehicle gel and untreated wounds

Limitations

Dermal ischemic model; the vehicle arm itself outperformed no treatment, so part of the gain is the dressing. Commercial gel formulation (Iamin 2%).