Iranian Journal of Veterinary Surgery

Iranian Journal of Veterinary Surgery

Comparative Effects of Lyophilized Amniotic Membrane and Wharton’s Jelly MSC-Derived Lyophilized Exosome-Enriched Fraction on Skin Wound Healing in Rats

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Shahrekord, Shahrekord, Iran.
2 DVSc in Veterinary Surgery and Anesthesia, Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Shahrekord, Shahrekord, Iran.
3 Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
10.30500/ivsa.2026.591352.1503
Abstract
Effective treatment of cutaneous wounds remains a major challenge in regenerative medicine, particularly in conditions associated with impaired tissue repair. The objective of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic effects of lyophilized amniotic membrane (L-AM) and lyophilized Wharton’s jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cell exosome-enriched fraction (L-EXO) on cutaneous wound healing in a rat model. Lyophilized amniotic membrane extract and exosome-enriched fraction were prepared from human placental tissues obtained after cesarean section. Full-thickness skin wounds were surgically created in twenty-four adult male Wistar rats, which were randomly allocated into three groups: untreated control, L-AM, and L-EXO. Treatments were administered on day 5 after wound induction. Skin samples were collected on day 21 for quantitative analysis of Elastin, Collagen I, and Fibronectin gene expression, histopathological evaluation using hematoxylin and eosin and Masson’s trichrome staining, and immunohistochemical assessment of Collagen I. Both L-AM and L-EXO significantly enhanced the expression of wound healing–related genes compared with the control group. Histopathological and immunohistochemical findings confirmed improved tissue regeneration and better collagen organization in both treatment groups. These findings indicate that lyophilized amniotic membrane and lyophilized Wharton’s jelly-derived exosome-enriched fraction are promising cell-free biological products for enhancing cutaneous wound healing and may represent potential therapeutic options for regenerative medicine. Further studies are warranted to evaluate their long-term efficacy and clinical applicability.
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Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 22 September 2026

  • Receive Date 12 July 2026
  • Revise Date 21 September 2026
  • Accept Date 22 September 2026
  • First Publish Date 22 September 2026