Contraction of collagen lattices by skin fibroblasts: drug-induced changes

A range of dermatologically useful drugs were added to human skin fibroblasts cultured in collagen lattices to assess possible effects on the rate of lattice contraction. Vitamin C, Vitamin E, phenytoin, sodium salicylate, D-penicillamine and dibutyryl c-AMP had no significant effect. Chlorhexidine acetate at 10 micrograms/ml arrested contraction after 24 h but this was related to its cytotoxicity. The antibiotics griseofulvin (2-16 micrograms/ml) and cycloheximide (5-30 micrograms/ml) caused dose-related inhibitions of contraction without affecting fibroblast viability. Four corticosteroids at 10 micrograms/ml inhibited contraction, clobetasol propionate having the greatest effect. On the other hand 4 retinoids at 10(-5) M enhanced contraction by up to 20%. As lattice contraction appears to model the contraction of skin wounds and there are broad parallels between the effects shown here of antiseptics, corticosteroids and the retinoids, and their reported influence on healing wounds, the lattice system may be a useful pharmacological screen for new compounds.