Substance P levels and neutral endopeptidase activity in acute burn wounds and hypertrophic scar.

Background: Substance P, a cutaneous neuroinflammatory mediator released from peripheral nerves, plays a role in responses to injury. Neutral endopeptidase is a cell membrane-bound metallopeptidase enzyme that regulates substance P activity. The question of substance P involvement in hypertrophic scar development has been based on observations that hypertrophic scars have increased numbers of nerves.

Nerve growth factor accelerates wound healing in diabetic mice.

Patients with diabetic neuropathy have reduced numbers of cutaneous nerves, which may contribute to an increased incidence of nonhealing wounds. Nerve growth factor (NGF) has been reported to augment wound closure. We hypothesized that topical 2.