Effects of fibroblasts and basic fibroblast growth factor on facilitation of dermal wound healing by type I collagen matrices.

Healing of large open dermal wounds is associated with decreased values of the tensile strength even up to 6 months post-wounding. Results of previous studies have shown that healing is facilitated in the presence of a type I collagen sponge by promoting deposition of newly synthesized large-diameter collagen fibers parallel to the fibers of the sponge. In this study healing is evaluated in dermal wounds treated with a collagen sponge seeded with fibroblasts or coated with basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). Experimental results indicate that the presence of a collagen sponge results in increased wound tensile strength and increased collagen fiber diameters in the upper dermis 15 days post-wounding in an excisional guinea pig dermal wound model. In comparison, dermal wounds treated with collagen sponges seeded with fibroblasts or coated with bFGF showed increased tensile strengths 15 days postimplantation and increased degree of reepithelialization. These results indicate that fibroblast seeding and bFGF coating in conjunction with a type I collagen sponge matrix facilitate early dermal and epidermal wound healing.