Effect of topical mitomycin on skin wound contraction.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of different dosing regimens of mitomycin on skin wound contraction. METHODS Full-thickness skin wounds were created in 5 groups of hairless mice, which represented different dosing regimens or a sterile water control: A, control; B, mitomycin (0.5 mg/mL) applied immediately after creation of the lesion (day 1); C, mitomycin (1.0 mg/mL) applied on day 1; D, mitomycin (0.5 mg/mL) applied on days 1 and 3; and E, mitomycin (1.0 mg/mL) applied on days 1 and 3. Wound surface area was measured immediately after drug application (day 1), and thereafter every 3 to 5 days until day 29 by means of computer-assisted image analysis. RESULTS All dosing regimens of mitomycin application resulted in an initially exponential rate of wound contraction that was significantly slower than in the sterile water control group, with a significantly larger wound surface area on day 29. Wound area in the control group contracted approximately 9 times more rapidly than in the treatment groups. No difference was observed among the different dosing regimens. CONCLUSION Application of mitomycin, at the lowest dose and frequency of application used in this study, resulted in improved outcomes with regard to contraction of full-thickness skin wounds.