Penicillin G does not alter collagen type I metabolism of dermal fibroblasts in culture

Background: Penicillin G (PenG) has successfully been used for therapy of d ermal fibrosis in patients suffering from systemic sclerosis (SSc). However , there is little knowledge on the mechanism of the antifibrotic action of PenG. Objective: We studied the effects of PenG on dermal fibroblasts by an alysing the influence of various amounts of PenG on the proliferation, synt hesis and degradation of collagen by human dermal fibroblasts from healthy donors and 1 SSc patient (collagen high producer). Methods: Collagen metabo lism of cultured dermal fibroblasts was studied by Northern hybridisation f or mRNA of collagen I, proline-4-hydroxylase, lysyl hydroxylase, matrix met alloproteinase I and determination of collagen content in culture supernata nts. Results: PenG did not alter the expression of the investigated mRNA, i ndependently of the dosage and the incubation times used. The amount of col lagen I protein was not influenced. Conclusion: There is no evidence of a d irect antifibrotic effect of PenG on dermal fibroblasts; therefore, other m echanisms might be responsible for its effect in the treatment of SSc patie nts, Copyright (C) 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel.