The Effect of Glucose Control on DNA and Collagen Synthesis of Cultured Fibroblasts of Chronic Diabetic Wounds

ABSTRACT

Diabetes is accompanied by delayed wound healing and insufficient granulation tissue formation, possibly because of a defect in fibroblast function. Maintaining glucose level at acceptable low level is considered to be an important part of the clinical treatment of diabetes, but the exact mechanism by which diabetes delays wound repair is not yet known. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of glucose on proliferation([3H]-thymidine uptake) and collagen synthesis([3H]-proline uptake) in dermal fibroblasts from non-lesional skins and chronic wounds. The subjects were divided into 3 groups non-diabetic control(n = 5), glucose controlled(glycated Hb 8%) diabetics(n = 5). The fibroblasts were cultured in two conditions, low glucose(5 mM) and high glucose(20 mM) medium. The data were compared using Mann-Whitney test. The results are as follows 1. There were no significant differences in the proliferation and collagen synthesis of non-lesional skin fibroblasts in all groups. 2. In high glucose medium culture, the proliferation of the fibroblasts from the wound of the glucose uncontrolled diabetic group was significantly lower than those of the other 2 groups(p< 0.05), and the collagen synthesis of the wound fibroblasts of the control group was significantly higher than those of 2 diabetic groups(p< 0.05). 3. The proliferation and collagen synthesis of the wound fibroblasts in all groups were significantly lower than those of the non-lesional skin fibroblasts(p< 0.05). 4. In the control group and the glucose controlled diabetic group, the proliferation of the wound fibroblasts in the high glucose culture media were lower than those in the low glucose culture media(p< 0.05). Also, in the glucose controlled diabetic group, the collagen synthesis of the wound fibroblasts in the high glucose culture medium was lower than that in the low glucose culture medium(p< 0.05). These results demonstrate that the glucose level may affect the proliferation and collagen synthesis of fibroblasts, and the strict blood glucose control is beneficial to the prevention and treatment of diabetic chronic wounds.