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Effects of glucocorticosteroids on primary human skin fibroblasts

II. Effects on Total Protein and Collagen Biosynthesis by Confluent Cell Cultures

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Summary

Confluent cultures of normal primary human skin fibroblasts were incubated with various glucocorticosteroids which are in current use clinically for the treatment of various skin disorders. For all steroids concentrations were found at which collagen hydroxyproline formation was inhibited, while total protein synthesis was little affected. The concentration effective for inhibition was highest for hydrocortisone and lowest for clobetasol-17-propionate. All other steroids (hydrocortisone-17-butyrate, triamcinolone acetonide and betamethasone-17-valerate) showed medium effectiveness. Fluorination as such was not a factor in the degree of inhibition. The inhibition observed was shown to be independent of concomitant specific effects on cell proliferation or cell turnover. The possible implications of these findings on the therapeutic effects in psoriasis and the frequently occurring atrophic side-effects of these steroids are discussed.

Zusammenfassung

Konfluente Zellkulturen normaler primärer menschlicher Hautfibroblasten wurden mit einer Anzahl Glucocorticosteroide inkubiert, die gegenwärtig in der Klinik zur Behandlung zahlreicher Hauterkrankungen verwendet werden. Bei allen diesen Steroiden gab es Konzentrationen, die die Synthese des Hydroxyprolins in Kollagen hemmten, während die Synthese des Gesamtproteins kaum beeinflußt wurde. Die zur Hemmung erforderliche Konzentration war für Hydrocortison am höchsten und für Clobetasol-17-propionat am niedrigsten. Die Hemmung durch die anderen Steroide (Hydrocortison-17-butyrat, Triamcinolon-acetonid und Betamethason-17-valerat) erfolgte im Zwischenbereich. Die Hemmung wurde durch Fluorinierung an sich nicht beeinflußt und wurde auch nicht durch spezifische Effekte auf die Zellvermehrung oder den Zell-turnover verursacht. Die möglichen Beziehungen wurden diskutiert zwischen diesen Ergebnissen und den therapeutischen Effekten der hier untersuchten Steroide bei Psoriasis, sowie die öfters gefundenen atrophischen Seiteneffekten.

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Ponec, M., Hasper, I., Vianden, G.D.N.E. et al. Effects of glucocorticosteroids on primary human skin fibroblasts. Arch. Derm. Res. 259, 125–134 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00557952

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