Fax +41 61 306 12 34 E-Mail karger@karger.ch www.karger.com Skin Pharmacol Physiol 2010;23(suppl 1):35–40 DOI: 10.1159/000319602 Response Analysis of Stimulating Efficacy of Polihexanide in an in vitro Wound Model with Respiratory Ciliary Epithelial Cells C. Roth   a A.G. Beule   a A. Kramer   b W. Hosemann   a T. Kohlmann   c C. Scharf   a a  Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, b  Institute of Hygiene and Environmental Medicine, and c  Institute of Community Medicine, Ernst Moritz Arndt University Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany Introduction Polihexanide is the only antiseptic promoting wound healing used at antimicrobially relevant concentrations in experimental animal models. A dilution of 0.02% polihexanide in polyethylene glycol 4000 and Ringer has shortened the duration of wound healing, defined as wound closure and based on histological findings, in ar- tificial wounds in guinea pigs [1] and in a higher concen- tration of 0.04% in piglets using a double-blind, random- ized, stratified, controlled parallel-group design [2]. To confirm these observations, different in vitro stud- ies were performed: on separated peritoneal explants, a positive trend towards an increased growth rate of the explants was found only for Taurolin Ringer at a concen- tration of 0.5% [3]. However, Taurolin Ringer is antisepti- cally effective only after a long exposure time ( 1 6 h) and recommended for peritoneal lavage, but not for wound antisepsis. Also ethanol increased the growth rate of peri- toneal explants, but only at a concentration of 10% (v/v), with no antimicrobial effect at this low concentration [4]. Used in an antimicrobial concentration of 70% (v/v), the growth rate of peritoneal explants was partially inhibited in the same manner as by polihexanide in 0.02% dilution (200  g/ml) [3]. Using lower concentrations of polihexanide (0.2, 0.4 and 1  g/ml) the ATP production of keratinocytes sig- nificantly increased after exposure for 48 h [5]. 2  g/ml induced only a small increase in ATP production, where- Key Words Polihexanide  Wound model  Respiratory ciliary epithelial cells  Wound healing  Wound stimulation Abstract In animal wound models, accelerated wound closure has been shown by use of polihexanide applied in antimicrobi- ally effective concentrations. Additionally, an increased ATP production of keratinocytes in vitro induced by polihexanide was demonstrated and interpreted as a stimulatory effect on cell proliferation. Based on these results and the clinical re- ports on improved wound healing after introduction of polihexanide for preoperative antisepsis in the nasal cavity, polihexanide was tested in a wound model on respiratory ciliary epithelial cells allowing measurement of the healing process after artificial injury. 0.5  g/ml polihexanide acceler- ated wound healing in terms of proliferation and migration significantly after an exposure time of 1 and 96 h. At a con- centration of 1  g/ml polihexanide, the stimulation of wound healing was significantly increased only after an ex- posure time of 96 h. This is the first study to demonstrate ac- celeration of wound healing in a standardized in vitro model using an epithelial cell line. Considering the present results and previous reports on the impact of polihexanide on wound healing, the conclusion is drawn that the positive ef- fect of polihexanide on wound healing is a separate, dose- dependent effect independent of its antiseptic properties. Copyright © 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel Published online: September 8, 2010 Christian Scharf, PhD Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Ernst Moritz Arndt University Greifswald, Walther Rathenau Strasse 43–45 DE–17475 Greifswald (Germany) Tel. +49 3834 866 218, Fax +49 3834 866 201, E-Mail scharf  @  uni-greifswald.de © 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel 1660–5527/10/0237–0035$26.00/0 Accessible online at: www.karger.com/spp