The effects of anti-prostaglandin agents on epidermal proliferation induced by dermal inflammation.

Experimentally induced dermal inflammatory lesions cause epidermal hyperplasia and increased thymidine autoradiographic indices in the overlying epidermis. In the experiments described here anti-prostaglandin agents (indomethacin, aspirin, prednisolone and polyphloretin phosphate) were given to guinea-pigs with experimentally induced dermal granulomata in an effort to learn more about the dermal control of epidermal proliferation. Indomethacin caused a significant reduction in the epidermal hyperplasia and labelling index in the epidermis overlying carageenan granulomata. Similar but less marked reductions in epidermal proliferation were seen with the other agents used. Some reduction, which proved not to be statistically significant, was also seen in the epidermal proliferation due to kaolin granulomata. Slight reduction in epidermal hyperplasia, but no effect on thymidine incorporation, was seen in proliferation induced by tape stripping.