Resveratrol-mediated reduction of collagen by inhibiting proliferation and producing apoptosis in human hypertrophic scar fibroblasts.

Hypertrophic scar (HS) is a dermal fibroproliferative disorder characterized by excessive deposition of extracellular matrix. Here, to investigate the regulative effects of resveratrol, a natural antioxidant compound, on fibroblasts from human skin HS tissue, a 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used to evaluate the inhibitory effect of resveratrol on cells. Cellcycle progression and apoptosis were measured by flow cytometry and Hoechst 33258 staining respectively. The hydroxyproline content and mRNA expression levels of type I and III procollagen were measured separately by ELISA and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The results indicated that resveratrol significantly inhibited cell growth, arresting the cell cycle at the G1 phase and inducing apoptosis in the fibroblasts, decreasing hydroxyproline (or collagen) levels, and downregulating the expression levels of type I and III procollagen mRNA. Taken together, these data indicate that resveratrol-mediated reduction of collagen in fibroblasts is at least partially effected by causing inhibitory cell growth, cellcycle arrest, and apoptosis, and they suggest that resveratrol is a potential agent for HS treatment.