Hyaluronan and rat renal fibroblasts: In vitro studies

Abstract

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a ubiquitous component of extra-cellular matrix. After tissue injury, HA appears in greater abundance during the inflammatory response and the phase of clearance of cell and matrix debris, before collagen production and matrix degradation. The aim of this study was to examine whether normal rat renal fibroblasts were capable of HA synthesis and to determine the effect of HA on in vitro collagen production in a series of normal rat cortical fibroblast cultures. Fibroblast cultures from both renal cortex and medulla were established from adult Sprague-Dawley rats. HA synthesis was measured by radioimmunoassay, and incorporation of 3H-proline into collagen was used to de..