OBJECTIVE The effect of platelet-derived wound healing factor (PDWHF) on wound healing in diabetic rats was studied. METHODS Forty-four male SD rats were randomly divided into 2 groups. Thirty-two rats of experimental group accepted intraperitoneal injection of alloxan (1.5 mg/10 g body weight). Within one or two days after injection, while the blood sugar of the rats was higher than 180 mg/dl, the animal model of diabetic rat should have been established. Then a dorsal incision was given to every rat. After the addition of PDWHF (the experimental group) or bovine albumin (the control group), the incision was sutured up. Seven, ten and fourteen days after operation, the breaking strength of the wound was measured. On another hand, specimen from the wound was taken for the culture of fibroblasts. When the cultured fibroblasts have been incubated with 10% PDWHF for 4, 8 and 12 hours, the procollagen I (alpha 1) mRNA levels were examined respectively, and compared with those of control. RESULTS Significant difference in wound breaking strength had been observed between PDWHF-treated incisions and the control on 7, 10 and 14 days after wounding (P lt; 0.01). Experiment in vitro demonstrated that the procollagen I (alpha 1) mRNA levels in wound fibroblasts incubated with 10% PDWHF for 4, 8 and 12 hours were 0.9, 3.7 and 2.2 folds higher than those in fibroblasts in control. CONCLUSION It was suggested that direct stimulation of procollagen I (alpha 1) gene expression was one of the ways that PDWHF played its role in accelerating wound healing.