Human skin battery potentials and their possible role in wound healing

Abstract

Measurements of transcutaneous voltage have been made on seventeen normal volunteers. The results show the presence of 'skin battery' voltages comparable in size to those previously reported for amphibian and mammalian skin. No correlation was found between battery voltage and age or sex in the group studied, but consistent anatomical variations were observed. The possible role of these voltages in the natural wound healing process is discussed.

Effect of anodal and cathodal microamperage direct current electrical stimulation on injury potential and wound size in guinea pigs

“…The second reason may be the mechanisms that produce the basal skin potential. These mechanisms are multiple and complex and include epidermal membranes, "skin battery" (voltage across the epidermis), sweat glands, and some diffusion and active-pumping mechanisms [13][14][21][22]33]. As a result, the return of wound potential to preinjury levels is a more prolonged and complex process that occurs slower than wound closure.…”

“…Some authors have proposed that endogenous bioelectric currents of a wound may play an important role in attracting epithelial cells and, therefore, in closing the wound surface [13,34]. Injured skin possesses a positive charge compared with the surrounding intact skin, and epithelial cells may migrate toward this positive charge [8,16].…”

“…These studies evidenced two important findings. First, human or animal skin possesses endogenous electrical potentials such that the external skin surface is always electronegative with respect to inner skin layers [13][14].…”

“…Because of potential differences between the injury site and the surrounding intact skin, a low-intensity direct current (DC) flows between them [13][14]. In actuality, following tissue damage, an injury current is generated that is thought to trigger biological repair [14,[18][19].…”

“…In actuality, following tissue damage, an injury current is generated that is thought to trigger biological repair [14,[18][19]. Based on these finding, researchers have proposed that external ES may help healing through the simulation and enhancement of natural bioelectric currents [3,13,[19][20]. This theory is considered one of the most important mechanisms of the effectiveness of ES on wound healing [1,3].…”