EFFECT OF CALCIUM ALGINATE ON CELLULAR WOUND-HEALING PROCESSES MODELED IN-VITRO

Although the clinical experience with calcium alginate has been genera lly good, well-controlled studies examining the effect of such dressin gs on the processes of wound healing have not been conducted. The heal ing of cutaneous ulcers requires the development of a vascularized gra nular tissue bed, filling of large tissue defects by dermal regenerati on, and the restoration of a continuous epidermal keratinocyte layer. These processes were modeled in vitro in the present study, utilizing human dermal fibroblast, microvascular endothelial cell (HMEC), and ke ratinocyte cultures to examine the effect of calcium alginate on the p roliferation and motility of these cultures, and the formation of capi llarylike structures by HMEC. This study demonstrates that the calcium alginate tested increased the proliferation of fibroblasts but decrea sed the proliferation of HMEC and keratinocytes. In contrast, the calc ium alginate decreased fibroblast motility but had no effect on kerati nocyte motility. There was no significant effect of calcium alginate o n the formation of capillarylike structures by HMEC. The effects of ca lcium alginate on cell proliferation and migration may have been media ted by released calcium ions. These results suggest that the calcium a lginate tested may improve some cellular aspects of normal wound heali ng, but not others. (C) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.