It has been postulated that an inflammatory response after cutaneous wounding is a prerequisite for healing, and inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), might be intimately involved in this process. IL-6-deficient transgenic mice (IL-6 KO) displayed significantly delayed cutaneous wound healing compared with wild-type control animals, requiring up to threefold longer to heal. This was characterized by minimal epithelial bridge formation, decreased inflammation, and granulation tissue formation. Using electrophoretic mobility shift assays of wound tissue from IL-6 KO mice, decreased AP-1 transcription factor activation was shown compared with wild-type mice 16 h after wounding. In situ hybridization of wound tissue from wild-type mice revealed IL-6 mRNA expression primarily in the epidermis at the leading edge of the wound. Delayed wound healing in IL-6 KO mice was reversed with a single dose of recombinant murine IL-6 or intradermal injection of an expression plasmid containing the full-length murine IL-6 cDNA. Treatment with rmIL-6 also reconstituted wound healing in dexamethasone-treated immunosuppressed mice. The results of this study may indicate a potential use for IL-6 therapeutically where cutaneous wound healing is impaired.

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This study assessed heart rate reactivity and antisocial characteristics, subjective report of anger, and family history variables in 18 aggressive and 18 nonaggressive undergraduate males in an attempt to test the generalizability of Gottman et al.'s (1995) investigation of cardiovascular reactivity as a typological variable for male batterers. Participants were categorized according to their scores on the Conflict Tactics Scale, Revised. Heart rate reactivity, personality variables (using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, Second Edition), and anger (using the State Trait Anger Expression Inventory) were subsequently measured during standardized interpersonal discussion tasks with a female confederate during the laboratory phase. Aggressive males reported having angrier temperaments and reactions to provocative situations than did their non-aggressive peers. Aggressive and non-aggressive males did not differ in terms of heart rate reactivity, personality variables, control or expression of anger, or witnessing violence between parents.

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