IN-VITRO ASSESSMENT OF PHAGOCYTOSIS OF BOVINE COLLAGEN BY HUMAN MONOCYTES MACROPHAGES USING A SPECTROPHOTOMETRIC METHOD/

The use of a wound dressing with covering and haemostatic properties s ignificantly improves wound healing. In this study, a lyophilized bovi ne collagen sponge used for the treatment of wounds and ulcerae has be en tested in a cell culture system. Phagocytosis of collagen fragments by human blood monocytes/macrophages has been investigated. For the a ssessment of collagen ingestion by mononuclear phagocytes, a picrosiri us dye specific for collagen molecules has been used. By adapting this histochemical technique to microplate cell culture system, replicate monocyte cultures are assayed. Collagen content is determined by evalu ating spectrophotometrically at 540 nm the absorbance of a sirius red/ picric acid solution. Using this simple and sensitive method, the phag ocytosis of bovine collagen by LPS-stimulated monocytes/macrophages ha s been ascertained. (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Limited