Silver ion alginate dressing for infection control in type Ⅱ diabetic rats wound: an in vitro and in vivo study

Diabetic wounds present a formidable therapeutic challenge due to their persistent nature and high complication rates. In this study, the new silver alginate dressing was evaluated to determine whether it improves wound healing in type Ⅱ diabetic rats by comparison with the commercially available silver alginate dressing Biatain® in vivo and in vitro. This study demonstrates that the novel dressing may provide a viable alternative approach to the current management of diabetic wounds. The in vitro part involved the evaluation of its water vapor transmission ability, water-uptake ability, and antibacterial ability. Then, Goto-Kakizaki diabetic rats were selected for in vivo experiments to establish the diabetic infection wound model. The healing rate of wounds and the bacterial count on wounds and wound dressings were studied. Detection of fibrinogen (FIB), procalcitonin (PCT), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) by ELISA, Platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (CD31) and Alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) protein expression by histological staining and determination of silver by microwave digestion-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. In comparison with the commercially available Biatain®, The silver alginate ion dressing has about twice the water absorption capacity of Biatain® (P < 0.01) and On day 14, the wound healing rate in the sample group demonstrated a significant increase of 15.6 % relative to the model group, with wounds approaching near-complete closure. The newly developed silver-ion alginate dressing enhanced wound closure, reduced infection and healing time, and lowered dressing change frequency, demonstrating comparable efficacy to the commercial reference product (Biatain®) as a practical alternative for diabetic wound care.