the impact of topical vitamin d on wound healing in second-degree burn injuries

The effects of vitamin d may accelerate wound healing and have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. the present study aimed to determine the effect of topical vitamin d on the healing of second-degree burn wounds in wistar rats. this experimental in vitro study involved a sample of 32 male wistar rats. superficial second-degree burns were induced in the hairless back of the animals. they were randomly divided into four equal groups. in the burnt area, no topical treatment was applied in the control group. in the vaseline group, a petroleum-based ointment was applied twice daily for 14 days. in the vitamin d group, topical vitamin d ointment, specifically 50 micrograms per gram, was applied twice daily, and in the silver sulfadiazine cream group, silver sulfadiazine cream was applied twice daily for 14 days. to evaluate the efficacy of treatment, four rats in each group were anesthetized on days 0, 7, and 14, and their skin was processed for histological examination. at the end of the study, the area of the wound in the vaseline group decreased more than other groups (75.02 ± 21.77 cm2) (p = 0.03). the mean wound healing percentage was 38.23 ± 6.53 cm2 in the vaseline group, 45.61 ± 6.53 cm2 in the vitamin d group, 43.59 ± 3.33 cm2 in the silver group, and 63.58 ± 5.51 cm2 in the control group; the vaseline group had a significant difference with all three other groups (p < 0.05). in conclusion, vitamin d ointment improved histological changes of tissue components in the process of healing; therefore, the maximal rate of healing was seen in the vaseline group. these findings suggest that they can be used as topical treatment agents for burn wounds.