Conclusion
Our results indicate that the design of our hydrogel for cooling injury wounds effectively improves healing and mitigates the damage from low temperatures.
Methods
Thirty rats were randomly divided into two groups. The treatment group received hydrogel and transparent film dressing 30 min to 1 h post-burn, while the control group received only cotton dressing. The wound area was measured, and the wound closure rate was calculated on days 3, 7, and 14 post-surgery. Tissue samples were collected from each rat on these days and stored at -80 °C for histological analysis using H&E, Masson and immunohistochemical staining. This analysis assessed factors such as granulation tissue length, re-epithelialization, re-angiogenesis, collagen deposition, inflammatory cell infiltration, and collagen production. Clinical and histological assessments at 14 days showed more rapid healing in the hydrogel dressing group compared to the control group.