Variable Effect of Estrogen on Fibroblast Proliferation and Collagen Synthesis by Gender and Age

ABSTRACT

It was assumed that the effect of estrogen on wound healing would be variable according to patient's gender and age since estrogen is a sex steroid. This study was designed to determine the variability of the effect of estrogen on proliferation of human dermal fibroblasts and collagen synthesis which are most important in wound healing considering patient's gender and age. Fibroblasts were isolated from the dermis of female patients in premenstrual, menstrual, or postmenopausal age group and that of male patients. The isolated fibroblasts were cultivated in the presence of estrogen(1.0microgram/ml). The cells were seeded at 5.0x103cell/ well in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium/Ham's F-12 nutrient including 5% fetal bovine serum in 96-well plates. The cells were incubated for 3 days. For fibroblast proliferation MTT assay method was used. To measure the production of collagen, the collagen type I carboxy- terminal propeptide enzyme immunoassay was carried out. Estrogen stimulated the proliferation of fibroblasts in female patients, but not in male patients. The greatest cell proliferation and collagen synthesis was seen at women in menstrual and postmenopausal age. These results demonstrated that effects of estrogen on dermal fibroblast proliferation and collagen synthesis were variable with gender and age.