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L-Arginine in Clinical Nutrition pp 577–588Cite as

The Role of l-Arginine in Wound Healing

Part of the Nutrition and Health book series (NH)

Abstract

Wound healing is required to effectively stabilise and repair injury (Sen et al. Wound Repair Regen 17:763–771, 2009; Enoch and Leaper. Surgery 23:37–42, 2005). In an optimal system, the process of wound healing occurs in an orderly and controlled series of phases: homeostasis, inflammation, proliferation and remodelling (Singer and Clark. N Engl J Med 341:738–746, 1999; Eming et al. J Invest Dermatol 127:514–525, 2007). However, complications including infection and inappropriate activation of the immune system can impair this process and result in delayed healing and the development of chronic wounds. Such complications impact significantly on health-care resources, and in 2010, the cost of treating and caring for wounds in the United States alone was estimated at $25 billion (Enoch and Leaper. Surgery 23:37–42, 2005). It is therefore important to determine factors that influence the wound healing process to optimise and facilitate appropriate healing.

Keywords

  • Wound healing
  • l-Arginine
  • Arginase
  • Nitric oxide
  • Inducible nitric oxide synthase
  • Urea cycle

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Fig. 45.1
Fig. 45.2
Fig. 45.3

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, 7 York Road, Parktown, Johannesburg, 2193, Gauteng, South Africa

    Alan N. Gould BSc (Hons; PhD Candidate) & Geoffrey P. Candy PhD

Authors
  1. Alan N. Gould BSc (Hons; PhD Candidate)
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  2. Geoffrey P. Candy PhD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Geoffrey P. Candy PhD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Science & Technology Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Westminster, London, United Kingdom

    Vinood B. Patel

  2. Department Nutrition and Dietetics Nutritional Sciences Division School of Biomedical & Health Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom

    Victor R. Preedy

  3. Nutritional Sciences Research Division Faculty of Life Science and Medicine, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom

    Rajkumar Rajendram

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Gould, A.N., Candy, G.P. (2017). The Role of l-Arginine in Wound Healing. In: Patel, V., Preedy, V., Rajendram, R. (eds) L-Arginine in Clinical Nutrition. Nutrition and Health. Humana Press, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-26009-9_45

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-26009-9_45

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