Effect of glucose concentration on the growth of normal human dermal fibroblasts in vitro.
OBJECTIVE
Glucose requirements increase in tissue repair as glucose is an energy source for cell proliferation and the formation of extracellular matrix components. Glucose concentrations in leg ulcer wound fluid are lower than in normal human serum, with a median of 0.7 mM (range: 0.3-1.2 mM). This study investigated the effect of such low concentrations on the growth of fibroblasts in vitro.


METHODS
Fibroblasts from 50-year-old and 87-year-old subjects were used. Growth in medium with various concentrations of glucose was determined by a colorimetric assay and microphotography.


RESULTS
Up to day 6, there were minimal differences in growth, but after day 6 a clear dose-dependent increase in growth was observed. In the lower dose range (up to 2.3 mM), growth was highly dose-dependent (r2 = 0.981), with an increase of 1.8 mM stimulating cell growth by day 10 up to 163% of the controls (p < 0.0001). Concentrations of 5.5-25.5 mM glucose stimulated cell growth by day 10 to about 210% of the controls (p < 0.0001), with little difference between these concentrations.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that glucose enhancement to cells involved in healing might serve as an adjunctive treatment for chronic wounds.
Han
J
J
Wound Healing Institute, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, UK.
Hughes
M A
MA
Cherry
G W
GW
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned / Q000494:pharmacology; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects*; D005947:Glucose / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology* / Q000254:growth & development*
D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D005947:Glucose