Objective: To investigate the significance and the influence of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF beta 1) on fibroblast proliferation and collagen synthesis.
Methods: The fibroblasts derived from healthy human dermis and pathologic scar were harvested and cultured in vitro with TGF beta 1. The effects of TGF beta 1 on the proliferation and collagen synthesis of the fibroblasts were investigated during the early phase (24 h) of cell confluence by means of nonradioactive cellular proliferation detection, 3H thymidine and 3H proline incorporation and DNA quantification analysis.
Results: After the co-culture with TGF beta 1, the incorporation of 3H thymidine and 3H proline and the proliferation were enhanced significantly in the fibroblasts from pathologic scar (P < 0.01) but remained at normal level in those from healthy human dermis(P > 0.05).
Conclusion: The cell proliferation and collagen synthesis of scar-derived fibroblasts could be positively modulated and controlled by TGF beta 1, which might be very important in the scar formation.