Stimulation of glycosaminoglycan synthesis in cultured fibroblasts by hyperbaric oxygen

In this study we examined the effect of hyperbaric oxygen treatment on the synthesis of glycosaminoglycans by fibroblasts isolated from wounds and normal skin. Fibroblast cultures were exposed to seven treatments of intermittent hyperbaric oxygen, and then metabolically labelled with D-[6-(3)H] glucosamine. Hyaluronic acid and proteoglycan synthesis were determined by measuring the radioactivity precipitated with cetylpyridinium chloride before and after digestion with hyaluronidase. Hyperbaric oxygen treatment resulted in an increased synthesis of hyaluronic acid and proteoglycans by fibroblasts from wounds and normal skin. Overall, the average increase in total glycosaminoglycan synthesis after hyperbaric oxygen treatment was 28%, whereas fibroblast proliferation was decreased by 7%. These results suggest that one of the effects of this treatment on a wound may be to increase the ratio of extracellular matrix to cells. Such a change could have important consequences for cellular activities essential for effective wound healing, such as migration of cells into the wound and control of cell function.