PADMA 28 is a multi-component herbal mixture formulated according to an ancient Tibetan recipe.
PADMA 28 is known to stimulate
collagen production and reduced levels of
collagen-degrading
matrix metalloproteinases (
MMPs). The goal of the present study was to determine whether topical treatment of rat skin with
PADMA 28 would improve skin structure/function, and whether subsequently induced abrasion
wounds would heal more rapidly in skin that had been pretreated with
PADMA 28. Hairless rats were exposed to a potent topical
corticosteroid (
Temovate) in combination with either
DMSO alone or with
PADMA 28 given topically. At the end of the treatment period, superficial
wounds were created in the skin, and time to
wound closure was assessed.
Collagen production and matrix-degrading
MMPs were assessed. Abrasion
wounds in skin that had been pretreated with
PADMA 28 healed more rapidly than did
wounds in
Temovate plus
DMSO-treated skin. Under conditions in which improved wound healing was observed, there was an increased
collagen production and decreased
MMP expression, but no significant epidermal
hyperplasia and no evidence of skin irritation. The ability to stimulate
collagen production and inhibit
collagen-degrading
enzymes in skin and facilitate more rapid
wound closure without irritation should provide a rationale for development of the
herbal preparation as a "skin-repair" agent.