FBG preassembled into the ECM of fibroblasts enhances wound closure. Fibroblasts were left untreated (CONTROL), treated with 40 μg/mL FBG immediately after the time of wounding (FBG-ATOW), or treated with FBG 24 hours prior to wounding (FBG-PRE). (A) At 8, 16, and 24 hours after wounding, the numbers of cells migrating into the denuded space were quantified as described in “Materials and methods.” The data are presented as the mean ± SEM; n = 7 to 13 per condition. (B) The effect of FBG treatment on cell migration into the wound space was visualized by low-power microscopy in CONTROL cells (left), FBG-ATOW-treated (middle), and FBG-PRE-treated (right) cells 16 hours after wounding. The original wound margins are denoted by dotted lines. Scale bar represents 50 μm. (C) Fibroblasts were treated with or without FBG as described above. 3H-thymidine was added ATOW to the culture media. A representative low-power field of each treatment condition at 16 hours after wounding is shown. Positive DNA synthesis is denoted by the presence of black-appearing silver grains over the nuclei of actively proliferating cells. Scale bar represents 100 μm.
