The effect of growth hormone on fibroblast proliferation and keratinocyte migration

Background The beneficial effects of growth hormones (GHs) on wound healing have been reported. Although the mechanism of how GH promotes wound healing is unclear, there are reports showing that the principal factor lies in the GH-stimulated production of IGF-1 in topical wounds. In this study, a human primary cell model was devised to examine how the topical application of GHs affects fibroblast proliferation and keratinocyte migration, which play fundamental roles in wound healing. Methods The fibroblasts were cultured in media with different concentrations of GH. The amount of fibroblast proliferation was assessed using a tetrazolium-based colourimetric assay (MTT assay). The amount of newly formed IGF-I mRNA was measured by reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Keratinocyte migration was compared using a migration assay. Results Fibroblast proliferation was significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group (the absorbance of 2.5 IU L−1 GH applied group: 0.3954±0.056, control group: 0.2943±0.0554, P<0.05), and the promotion of IGF-I formation by fibroblasts was observed. There was more keratinocyte migration in the experimental group than in the control group (the remaining gap in the 2.5 IU L−1 GH applied group after keratinocyte migration: 46.57±2.22% of the primary gap, control group: 75.14±3.44%, P<0.05). Conclusion GH enhances the local formation of IGF-1, which activates fibroblast proliferation and keratinocyte migration. These results highlight the potential of the topical application of GHs in the treatment of wounds.