Potential use of blood bank platelet concentrates to accelerate wound healing of diabetic ulcers

Many clinical trials have shown the effectiveness of platelet releasate on diabetic wound healing, but large volumes of blood must be aspirated from patients and a platelet separator is required. This study was undertaken to investigate the potential of blood bank platelet concentrate (BBPC) for accelerating diabetic wound healing. Platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) contents in BBPC were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in vitro, and the in vivo study involved comparing extents of wound healing in BBPC-treated and control groups using diabetic mouse wound models. In the in vitro study, 5.2 +/- 1.2 pg of PDGF-BB was found to be released by I million platelets in fresh BBPC, and adding thrombin to BBPC significantly increased the levels of PDGF-BB released. Our in vivo study in diabetic mice revealed that BBPC treatment greatly accelerated wound healing. Our results suggest that BBPC has potential to accelerate the healing of diabetic ulcers.