Bacterial concentrations greater than 10(5) colony-forming units/gm of tissue prevent wound healing. However, it has not been determined whether it is the number of bacteria or a toxin produced by these organisms that impedes the wound healing process. Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PSAR), a burn wound pathogen, produces a dermonecrotic toxin, exotoxin A. Studies have indicated a role for exotoxin A in the pathogenicity of PSAR. We investigated the role of exotoxin A in the retardation of contraction. Acute granulating wounds were created on 90 Sprague-Dawley rats. The animals were equally divided into six groups and were treated topically as follows: group 1, sham: no infection, no treatment; group 2, exotoxin A; group 3, exotoxin A and antiexotoxin; group 4, autoclaved PSAR 10(6); group 5, 10(6) viable PSAR inoculated in the wound; group 6, 10(6) viable PSAR and antiexotoxin. Wound contraction was measured with the use of planimetry twice a week. Serial biopsies were performed on all wounds. Contraction rates revealed significantly (p < 0.05) retarded closure in the animals treated with exotoxin A and in the viable PSAR group when compared with the rates of the noninfected control groups. Animals treated with exotoxin A plus antiexotoxin A and those treated with live PSAR and antiexotoxin showed contraction rates identical to the control groups. These data suggest that exotoxin A in PSAR infections retards wound healing and that neutralization of the toxin restores the normal healing process.
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Heggers et al. (1992) studied this question.