THE EFFECT OF SURGICAL GLOVE POWDER ON PROLIFERATION OF HUMAN SKIN FIBROBLAST AND MONOCYTE-MACROPHAGE

The effect of surgical glove powders (Biosorb, Keoflo, and CaCO3) and Hydrocote (powder-free lubricating agent, Biogel) was examined on huma n skin fibroblasts and monocyte/macrophage cell lines (U937 and HL-60) . Glove powders (0.1-100 mug/ml) in the presence of 10% fetal bovine s erum (FBS) had no significant effect on the rate of H-3-thymidine upta ke and proliferation of these cells after 48 h and 7 days of exposure, respectively. However, they inhibited HL-60 growth after 10 days, and Biosorb and CaCO3 inhibited U937 after 10-21 days of exposure compare d with control. In the presence of low serum (0.5%), Biosorb, but not Keoflo, CaCO3, and Hydrocote, inhibited HL-60 cells after the third da y of exposure (p < 0.05), whereas they were without any effect on U937 cells. Further incubation resulted in a significant decrease in cell density in all treatments, as well as controls, because of cell death. In the presence of 2% serum, glove powder-treated HL-60 significantly increased in cell numbers during the first 3 days, and the cells beca me stationary thereafter, whereas Keoflo and CaCO3-stimulated U937 rea ched a maximal by 9 days of treatment. Coculturing of fibroblasts dire ctly with macrophages (0.4-5 x 10(5) cells per dish) or incubation wit h macrophage culture-conditioned media (CCM) stimulated quiescent fibr oblast growth equal to that induced by 10% and 0.5% serum, respectivel y (p < 0.05). However, incubation of fibroblasts with glove powder-tre ated HL-60 CCM (except CaCo3) inhibited (p < 0.05) and CCM from Biosor b-treated U937 stimulated (p < 0.05) fibroblast proliferation. The CCM from glove powder-treated HL-60 and U937 did not have any significant effect on the rate of H-3-thymidine incorporation into fibroblasts co mpared with controls. The present observations suggest that glove powd er action on fibroblast and macrophage growth in vitro depends on both the serum concentration of the culture medium and the length of expos ure. The results imply that glove powders may have an adverse effect i n vivo by directly influencing the biologic activity of macrophages, a s well as other cell types, leading to alterations in the early phases of wound healing.