The effects of basic fibroblast growth factor and doxorubicin on cultured human skin fibroblasts: relevance to wound healing.

The effects of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and doxorubicin on cultured human skin fibroblasts were examined in order to determine their relevance to wound healing. bFGF is shown to stimulate fibroblast collagenase production per cell, and this effect in vitro seems to be one explanation for its efficacy in wound healing. Doxorubicin inhibited not only fibroblast proliferation but also collagen production by inactivating prolyl hydroxylase. This result may explain the reduced wound healing in patients undergoing treatment with doxorubicin. These studies indicate the importance of assessing the effects of growth factors on matrix metabolism in order to understand their roles in wound healing.