Epithelial mesenchymal interrelations at the skin level. A quantitative study

Epithelial mesenchymal interrelations at the skin level were quantitatively studied by analysing the modifications of fibrocytes in the framework of total connective cells and capillaries of the dermic mesenchyme and of the number of mitoses in the epidermis. A normal group of guinea pigs was compared with a massaged one (II) and a massaged one using ointment (III). There were found significant differences between the elements of the first and those of the second and third groups, and no significant differences between the 2nd and the 3rd ones. There were established and compared the ratio of dermal fibrocytes to other connective cells, to dermal capillaries and to epidermal mitoses: the ratio remained similar in all groups. These results lead to the conclusion that dermis (expressed by its cells and capillaries) and epidermis (reflected in mitoses) have a correlated response to the mechanical action exerted in physiological limits, and that the epithelial mesenchymal dependence at the skin level is determined by the strong interrelations which are not easily modifiable.