Expression of glycosaminoglycans and small proteoglycans in wounds: modulation by the tripeptide-copper complex glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine-Cu(2+)

Siméon A, Wegrowski Y, Bontemps Y, Maquart FX · The Journal of Investigative Dermatology

Raised wound-tissue dry weight, total protein, type I collagen and total glycosaminoglycan content. Control chambers accumulated chondroitin sulfate and dermatan sulfate as hyaluronic acid fell, and GHK-Cu enhanced that chondroitin-sulfate and dermatan-sulfate accumulation. Decorin mRNA rose and biglycan mRNA fell; in fibroblast culture decorin rose and biglycan was unchanged.

Population

Rat subcutaneous wound-chamber model, with parallel rat dermal fibroblast cultures

Intervention

Repeated intra-chamber injection of GHK-Cu, 2 mg per injection, to day 22

Comparator

Saline-injected chambers

Limitations

Dermal granulation tissue, not cartilage; chondroitin sulfate in a wound is not aggrecan-bound chondroitin sulfate in a matrix under load. Proteoglycan results are northern-blot mRNA, with no protein or functional matrix endpoint.