title: Clostridial collagenase releases bioactive fragments from extracellular matrix molecules.
abstract: The current study was designed to investigate the biological role of small extracellular matrix fragments in wound healing. Human burn eschar tissue was digested with bacterial collagenase, and small aminoacidic fragments were inoculated in both human dermal fibroblast cultures and polyvinyl alcohol sponges implanted subcutaneously in the rat. Proliferation assays on cell cultures and biochemical and histologic analyses of the animal model were then performed. Results showed that fibroblasts treated with low concentrations of eschar fragments duplicated significantly faster than controls. Biochemical and histologic data from sponge implants showed that the inflammatory response was augmented by eschar-derived fragments at postoperative day 2, whereas protein and hydroxyproline synthesis were decreased at day 14. In conclusion, these data substantiate that the application of bacterial collagenase to débride necrotic tissue may have an indirect healing effect resulting from the local release of bioactive matrix-derived fragments.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Radice
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brun
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bernardi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fontana
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cortivo
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Abatangelo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002056:Burns / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy*; D002455:Cell Division; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation; D008297:Male; D003012:Microbial Collagenase / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D003012:Microbial Collagenase