RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Wuhuang oil has a bacteriostatic action to treat burn wound and promote traumatic healing, but the action on inhibition of scars formation remains poorly understood.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of modified Wuhuang oil at different concentrations and administration times on the growth and proliferation of human fibroblasts in vitro.DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING: Comparison observation regarding cytology in vitro was performed at the Burns Institute in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University between April 2006 and January 2007.MATERIALS: Prepuce specimens were harvested from patients who underwent circumcision in Department of urinary surgery, at First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University and Jiangxi Provincial Children Hospital. All patients aged 2-12 years old, and informed consents were obtained from their relatives. Wuhuang oil and modified Wuhuang oil (water-solubility) were offered by Department of Pharmaceutical Preparation in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, China. METHODS: Human fibroblasts cultured in vitro were divided into 2 groups at random, experiment and control. Experiment group was treated with 300 g/L Wuhuang oil, while control group with 300 g/L modified Wuhuang oil. Serum-free culture fluid was used to prepare 6 concentrations of oil solution: 0 (blank control), 100, 150, 200, 250, 300 g/L.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: MTT assay was used to determine the growth and proliferation of human fibroblasts at 2, 3, 4, 5,6 days; inhibition rate of cell growth was observed at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 days.RESULTS: Modified Wuhuang oil (0-300 g/L) concentration positively correlated with inhibition of human fibroblast proliferation;the inhibition was not related to culture time. Modified Wuhuang oil (300 g/L) had the greatest inhibition rate of human fibroblasts at 8-10 days, there were significant differences between experiment group and control group (P < 0.01).CONCLUSION: Modified Wuhuang oil has an effective inhibition on the proliferation of human fibroblasts in vitro, and shows a dose-dependent tendency. Compared with Wuhuang oil, 300 g/L modified Wuhuang oil is superior to suppress the growth of human fibroblasts.