Mr Huaikai Shi¹, Mrs Ulla Simanainen², Miss Roxanne Parungao³, Mr  Brian Lesmana⁴, Mr  Brenton  Condor⁵, Mr David Handelsman⁶, Mr Mark  Cooper⁷, Mr Peter  Maitz⁸, Mrs Yiwei Wang⁹

¹ANZAC Research Institute, Concord, Australia, ²ANZAC Research Institute, Concord, Australia, ³ANZAC Research Institute, Concord, Australia, ⁴ANZAC Research Institute, Concord, Australia, ⁵ANZAC Research Institute, Concord, Australia, ⁶ANZAC Research Institute, Concord, Australia, ⁷ANZAC Research Institute, Concord, Australia , ⁸Burns Unit, Concord Repatriation General Hospital , Concord, Australia, ⁹ANZAC Research Institute, Concord, Australia

Abstract:
Rational: Androgens have been known to inhibit cutaneous (non-burn) wound repair in men and male mice by exacerbating wound inflammation and modifying re-epithelialization. However, recent studies have reported that in severe burn injury (over 20% TBSA), androgen treated patients better maintain lean body mass, have improved hypermetabolic response and shorter healing time. This highlights a contradictory and context-dependent role of androgens in the wound healing of burn injury and simple incisional skin wound healing.

Objective:The aim of this study was to identify the role of androgens in severe burn injury wound healing, in particular whether androgens target local healing processes or systemic burn induced hypermetabolic state.

Methods: Mice were subjected to a thermal injury from a hot brass rod (4cm²) constituting a severe large burn. After 48 hrs following thermal injury, the wound site was debrided to remove damaged skin and to avoid infection prior to wound dressing. Mice were weighed and harvested at different time points post injury. Energy expenditure and metabolic changes were measured using metabolic cages. Wound healing rate, epidermal migration, matrix deposition were also analysed.

Results: In the present study, all mice induced hypermetabolism response with continued weight lost and muscle wasting over 7 days post burn injury. Androgen (DHT) treated mice had significantly improved burn injury wound healing with respect to body weight, muscle wasting and better maintained adipose tissue. However, no differences were shown on local wound healing parameters, suggesting systemic administration of DHT has no negative effects on local healing process.

Biography:
Mr Shi, a first year PHD student works at Burns Unit, Anzac Research Institute, The university of Sydney. His PHD focus on identifing the role of androgens in severe burn injury wound healing, in particularly whether androgen targets local healing process or systemic burn induced hypermetabolic state.