STIMULATION OF GLYCOSAMINOGLYCAN SYNTHESIS IN CULTURED FIBROBLASTS BYHYPERBARIC-OXYGEN

In this study we examined the effect of hyperbaric oxygen treatment on the synthesis of glycosaminoglycans by fibroblasts isolated from woun ds and normal skin. Fibroblast cultures were exposed to seven treatmen ts of intermittent hyperbaric oxygen, and then metabolically labelled with D-[6-H-3] glucosamine. Hyaluronic acid and proteoglycan synthesis were determined by measuring the radioactivity precipitated with cety lpyridinium chloride before and after digestion with hyaluronidase. Hy perbaric oxygen treatment resulted in an increased synthesis of hyalur onic acid and proteoglycans by fibroblasts from wounds and normal skin . Overall, the average increase in total glycosaminoglycan synthesis a fter hyperbaric oxygen treatment was 28%, whereas fibroblast prolifera tion was decreased by 7%. These results suggest that one of the effect s of this treatment on a wound may be to increase the ratio of extrace llular matrix to cells. Such a change could have important consequence s for cellular activities essential for effective wound healing, such as migration of cells into the wound and control of cell function.