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Effects of glucocorticosteroids on cultured human skin fibroblasts

V. Influence of anabolic steroids on the inhibitory effects of clobetasol-17-propionate on cell proliferation and collagen synthesis

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Summary

As previously found, the glucocorticosteroid clobetasol-17-propionate inhibits cell proliferation during the early growth stage of normal baby foreskin fibroblasts and collagen synthesis in confluent cultures of these cells. The degree of inhibition of cell proliferation decreases with increasing cell density and, moreover, is transient.

The anabolic steroids nandrolone and nandrolone-phenyl-propionate have similar effects on these cells. Likewise the magnitude of the inhibition is dose-dependent.

When present together the two types of drug do not act in an additive manner. Even at low concentrations the anabolic steroids abolish the inhibitory effect of the glucocorticosteroid on cell proliferation. Furthermore, in this case only the inhibitory effect of the glucocorticosteroid on collagen synthesis is found and there is no further increase in this effect due to the presence of the anabolic steroids.

Our results imply that the use of low concentrations of anabolic steroids combined with glucocorticosteroids in topical application to the skin may abolish some of the undesirable side effects of the glucocorticosteroids.

Zusammenfassung

Wie schon früher festgestellt wurde, hemmt das Glucocorticosteroid Clobetasol-17-propionate die Zellvermehrung während der frühen Wachstumsstadien der normalen Babyvorhautfibroblasten und die Kollagen-Synthese in konfluenten Kulturen der Zellen. Der Hemmungsgrad der Zellvermehrung sinkt mit zunehmender Zelldichte und ist außerdem von kurzer Dauer.

Die anabolen Steroide Nandrolone und Nandrolone-phenyl-propionate haben ähnliche Effekte auf diese Zellen. Ebenso ist die Hemmungsgröße konzentrationsabhängig.

Bei Anwendung beider Medikamente haben diese keine additive Wirkung. Schon bei niedrigen Konzentrationen unterdrücken anabole Steroide den Hemmeffekt der Glucocorticosteroide auf die Zellvermehrung. Weiter wird in diesem Fall nur der Hemmeffekt der Glucocorticosteroide auf die Kollagen-Synthese gefunden, und keine weitere Steigerung des Effekts in Anwesenheit von anabolen Steroiden.

Unsere Resultate lassen vermuten, daß der Gebrauch niedriger Konzentrationen von anabolen Steroiden in Kombination mit Glucocorticosteroiden bei (äußerlicher) Applikation auf die Haut einige der unerwünschten Nebenwirkungen aufheben könnte.

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Ponec, M., de Haas, C., Kempenaar, J.A. et al. Effects of glucocorticosteroids on cultured human skin fibroblasts. Arch. Dermatol. Res. 266, 75–82 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00412864

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