Wound Contraction in Relation to Collagen Formation in Scorbutic Guinea-pigs

ABSTRACT In order to investigate the relation of wound contraction to collagen formation, standard skin wounds were made on two groups of guinea-pigs, one group kept on an ascorbic acid deficient diet, the other on the same diet supplemented with ascorbic acid. Ten days after wounding the amount of collagen in the repair tissue, estimated by the method of Neuman & Logan (1950), was much less in the deficient than in the non-deficient animals. Nevertheless, the amount of wound contraction which had occurred, representing a loss of 30 – 40 per cent, of the original wound area, was not significantly different in the two groups. Large amounts of hydroxyproline were found in the massive scabs commonly developed over the wounds of scorbutic animals. It is suggested that the force that brings about wound contraction may be developed by the connective tissue cells of the repair tissue.