Effect of Autologous Platelets-rich Plasma Alone or with Hydrofiber Dressing on Cutaneous Wound Healing in Rescued Donkeys

In equines, cutaneous wound recovery is typically complex and delayed. This study was aimed to investigate the effect of autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) alone or with hydrofiber dressing (HFD) on cutaneous wound healing in rescued donkeys. A total of 18 rescued donkeys were selected and allocated into three groups: A, B, and C. Group-B donkeys (n = 6) were treated with PRP, while group-C donkeys (n = 6) were treated with PRP, and then HFD was applied. The wounds in group A donkeys (n = 6) did not undergo any treatment and were only irrigated with sterile saline. An average full-thickness (3–4 cm2) of skin wounds on each donkey were selected. Collagen reestablishment was monitored via Masson's trichrome staining, and wound re-epithelialization was evaluated through hematoxylin and eosin staining. On days 1, 7, 14, and 28, catalase (CAT) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were also measured in blood samples. We observed that PRP + HFD and PRP-treated wounds showed a significantly increased amount of re-epithelialization, number of fibroblasts, neovascularization, and collagen amount with organization on day 28 than control wounds. The levels of MDA significantly decreased, while catalase activity non-significantly decreased in PRP and PRP + HFD-treated wounds than the control wounds on days 7, 14, and 28. In conclusion, autologous PRP alone or with HFD groups enhanced wound healing by lowering oxidative stress, accelerating wound epithelialization, and producing more organized tissue with interlocking collagen bundles than control group. Nevertheless, more ultrasound research is needed to find out how PRP combined with HFD affects the healing of cutaneous wounds in rescued donkeys.