Macroscopic and sonographic correlations in the assessment of burn injury regeneration in guinea pig skin under the influence of the secretome of multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells

Abstract

Introduction. Thermal skin burns in farm animals represent a common traumatic injury, leading to culling, reduced productivity, and significant economic losses. Existing treatment modalities in veterinary practice are often insufficiently effective due to delayed wound debridement, infection, and extensive scarring. Stimulation of repair to improve treatment outcomes is achievable through the use of regenerative agents, particularly the secretome of multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MMSCs), which contains a complex of cytokines with both pro- and anti-inflammatory activity.
Aim. To evaluate the effect of the MMSC secretome on skin repair following a third-degree thermal burn.
Materials and methods. The study was conducted on 60 guinea pigs. A third-degree thermal burn was simulated on the femoral skin, after which the animals were divided into a control group (saline solution, n=20), an experimental group (MMSC secretome, n=20), and a comparison group (dexpanthenol-based ointment, n=20). Examinations were performed on days 7, 30, and 60, employing a comprehensive methodological approach that included clinical observation, ultrasonographic, and histological studies.
Results. The study demonstrates that the MMSC secretome stimulates macrophage-mediated resorption of detritus, as well as neoangiogenesis, granulation tissue formation, and epithelialization at the early stage (day 7). By day 30, the experimental group exhibited earlier maturation of fibrous tissue and the appearance of signs of organotypic structure in the peripheral parts of the regenerate, compared to the other groups. On day 60, scar changes in the skin were minimal compared to the control and comparison groups. At this stage, the smaller central area of the regenerate was represented by a normotrophic scar with signs of remodeling, while the peripheral area exhibited an organotypic structure.
Conclusion. The application of the MMSC secretome stimulates reparative regeneration of skin after a thermal burn by promoting rapid detritus resorption, enhancing granulation tissue growth, and facilitating the maturation and remodeling of scar tissue, with a pronounced tendency towards the formation of an organotypic regenerate. The obtained data substantiate the feasibility of further studies in farm animals and the development of veterinary drugs based on the secretome.

To cite: Usacheva A.A., Borkhunova E.N., Kuznetsova M.A., Dovgii A.I. Macroscopic and sonographic correlations in the assessment of burn injury regeneration in guinea pig skin under the influence of the secretome of multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells. Agrarian Bulletin of the North Caucasus. 2026;16(1):69-81. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.31279/2949-4796-2026-16-1-69-81