The proliferative effect of all-trans retinoic acid during wound healing: A compromised effect in the presence of dimethyl sulphoxide

However, disparate reports in the literature contradict the described beneficial effects of ATRA on wound healing. For example, Kitano et al.17 reported a non-significant effect of ATRA on wound closure in normal mice, but a significant increase in closure in diabetic mice. Furthermore, the continuous treatment of wounds with ATRA, inhibited re-epithelisation18, disrupted collagen production and decreased the breaking strength of skin8. It was thus suggested by Muehlberger et al.8 that ATRA did not have an effect on unimpaired wounds, but was beneficial only in patients with impaired vitamin A metabolism, or patients with chronic non-healing wounds.