The Efficacy of Topical Lactoferrin on Wound Healing in an Experimental Animal Model of Nasal Septum Perforation

The aim of the present experimental animal study was to investigate the efficacy of bovine lactoferrin (LF) on wound healing in an animal model of nasal septum perforation (NSP).Twenty-two, 8 to 10 weeks of age, male Sprague-Dawley rats were separated into two groups. Nasal septum perforation was created in each rat. The saline (control) and 0.05 mg LF (study) groups were delivered locally for 14 days. On the 14th day of the study, after the sacrifice, the cartilage nasal septa of the animals were excised. The degeneration and regeneration observed in the nasal septum epithelium and cartilage, the number of acute inflammatory cells, the number of eosinophils, the amount of new vessel formation, the amount of granulation, and the collagen density were examined microscopically. The microscopic parameters and macroscopic healing of NSPs were analyzed. The epithelium regeneration, the fibroblast number, the granulation tissue formation, the collagen density, and the macroscopic healing were significantly higher in the LF group ( p < 0.05). Besides, the acute inflammatory cell count was lower in the LF group ( p = 0.034). In conclusion, the topically delivered LF can improve wound healing in an experimental rat model of NSP.