Estrogen as primary factor in vaginal healing in rats.

OBJECTIVE: Although the effect of estrogens on wound healing is already known, its complex mechanism is not fully understood in literature. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of estrogen on vaginal healing after surgical intervention performed in the age group with low estrogen level and in an adult group with high estrogen level. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seven young and seven adult female Wistar Albino rats were procured. For control group, one animal was chosen each from the young (Group I) and adult groups (Group II), and their vaginal tissue was removed. An incision was made to the posterior vaginal wall under anesthesia and sutured with 5-0 polyglactin in all the rats. On the seventh postoperative day, the posterior vaginal wall was excised. A semi-quantitative method was used to evaluate the histological processes and structures during wound healing. RESULTS: Although there were no evident differences in the evaluation of histological scoring system, the presence and distribution of new vascularization and fibroblasts showed that vaginal mucosal healing was more intense in adult rats. CONCLUSIONS: The effect of estrogens on vaginal mucosal healing has been discussed in several experimental studies and literature information has been presented; it has been concluded that it would be beneficial to consider the positive effect of vaginoplasty procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]