AN IN VITRO STUDY ON THE EFFECT OF HISTAMINE ON THE CONTRACTILE RESPONSIVENESS OF RAT SUBCUTANEOUS FASCIA AND WOUND GRANULATION TISSUE TO MEPYRAMINE

Myofibroblasts play an important central role in wound contraction and repair, and are believed to develop from resident fibroblasts in the adjacent uninjured connective tissues. However, the factors involved in their differentiation into more contractile cells are not fully understood. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the role of histamine on the pharmacological responsiveness of both subcutaneous fascia and wound granulation tissues. In the present in vitro study, using superfusion technique, the effects of histamine (1, 10 and 50 µM following 30 and 60 min incubation) on the pharmacological responsiveness of excisional wound granulation tissue were compared with superficial fascia to mepyramine. The results showed that incubation with histamine caused an increase in responsiveness of normal fascia to mepyramine, while it had no effect on excisional wound granulation tissue. In conclusion, it seems that histamine plays an important role in modulating the contractile behaviour of the normal fibroblasts and promotes the development of a more contractile cell resembling the myofibroblasts.