Hydrocortisone enhances and inhibits hyaluronate synthesis in a human dermal equivalent

We have previously reported human dermal fibroblasts cultured under serum-free conditions without the use of a three dimensional scaffold produce an organized extracellular matrix in vitro. This matrix bears marked resemblance to the human dermis and is capable of producing large amounts of hyaluronic acid (HA, hyaluronate). We have investigated the effect of the hormone hydrocortisone in differing concentrations on the behavior of human dermal fibroblasts cultured in vitro. We find that low concentrations of hydrocortisone enhance hyaluronate synthesis, while higher concentrations inhibit HA synthesis. A detailed extracellular matrix characterization of the cultured constructs will be presented.