Extracellular alkaline phosphatase activity as a possible marker for wound healing: a preliminary report.

Purpose: This study evaluated the use of extracellular alkaline phosphatase activity as a marker of wound healing.

Materials And Methods: Fifteen 8-week-old Wistar rats, weighing 180 to 220 g and of both sexes, made up the material of this study. Histopathologic aspects of the healing of full-thickness of wounds created on the dorsal skin of these rats were studied by means of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) enzyme histochemistry and routine microscopy.

Results: The current study showed an exclusive localization of extracellular ALP activity in the regions of granulation tissue formation. This localization was time related, and decreased as healing progressed.

Conclusions: Although the biologic significance of ALP is still obscure, use of extracellular ALP activity as a simple and reliable histochemical process marker of the skin wound healing is proposed.