This Article  • Full text  • PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citing articles on Web of Science (7)  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Related article  • Similar articles in this journal  Topic Collections  • Dermatology, Other  • Alert me on articles by topic  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Filippo Renò, PhD; Paola Grazianetti, PharmB; Maurizio Stella, MD; Gilberto Magliacani, MD; Carla Pezzuto, MD; Mario Cannas, MD

Arch Dermatol. 2002;138:475-478.

Objective  To investigate induction of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) during mechanical compression of hypertrophic scars. Mechanical pressure blocks hypertrophy inducted on extracellular matrix in scars by a mechanism that involves MMP-2 (gelatinase A) and MMP-9 (gelatinase B).

Design  We assayed conditioned media obtained from normotrophic and hypertrophic scars during 24 hours of in vitro mechanical compression using gelatin zymography.

Setting  Scars from various areas of the bodies of hospitalized patients.

Patients  We obtained 3 normotrophic and 7 hypertrophic biopsy specimens from 10 patients (5 men and 5 women).

Intervention  In vitro compression at a pressure of 35 mm Hg/cm² for 24 hours.

Main Outcome Measures  Vitality of scars was analyzed by means of lactic dehydrogenase test; medium samples were collected for zymographic analysis of MMP activity.

Results  We found MMP-2 in basal (uncompressed) samples from normotrophic and hypertrophic scars. Mechanical compression induced MMP-9 release and activation (range, 86.7%-78.7%) in hypertrophic scars after 4 hours.

Conclusion  Production, release, and activation of MMP-9 in hypertrophic scars could be an effector mechanism responsible for hypertrophy regression induced by mechanical compression.

From the Human Anatomy Laboratory, Medical Sciences Department, University of Eastern Piedmont "A. Avogadro," Novara (Drs Renò, Grazianetti, and Cannas), and the Plastic Surgery Division and Burns Center, Orthopedic Traumatological Center, Turin (Drs Stella, Magliacani, and Pezzuto), Italy.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

RELATED ARTICLE

Archives of Dermatology Reader's Choice: Continuing Medical Education
Arch Dermatol. 2002;138(4):553-554.
FULL TEXT