Regulatory action of charred Gossamer urocteae on the functions of mouse oral fibroblasts.

Objective: To explore the influence of charred Gossamer urocteae (CGU) on the functions of primary cultured mouse oral fibroblasts and reveal its mechanism in wound healing.

Methods: CGU was extracted with different solvents and ethanol extract (EE), ethyl acetate fraction (EF), n-butanol fraction (BF) and aqueous fraction (AF) were obtained. The effects of different fractions on the proliferation, matrix metalloproteinase-2,9 (MMP-2,9) activities, synthesis of collagen and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP-1) in the mouse oral fibroblasts were determined by MTT, gelatin zymography, chloramine-T method, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) respectively.

Results: EE, EF and BF at high concentrations could significantly inhibit proliferation of fibroblasts (P<0.05 or P<0.01), and at low concentrations EF and BF could promote proliferation of fibroblasts, and BF and AF could significantly inhibit collagen synthesis (P<0.05 or P<0.01). EE, EF and AF at high concentrations could significantly increase the MMP-9 activity, and BF and AF could significantly inhibit synthesis of TIMP-1.

Conclusion: CGU at high concentrations can inhibit the proliferations of fibroblasts and synthesis of collagen, and in healing of wound, CGU at high concentrations possibly has the functions of anti-fibrosis and anti-scar, and the mechanism to promote degradation of collagen is possibly related to the increase in MMP-9 activity and the inhibition of TIMP-1 synthesis.