The effect of skin grafting upon prolyl hydroxylase and hyaluronidase activities in mammalian wound repair

Abstract

In normally healing open wounds a five-fold increase in prolyl hydroxylase activity, an indicator of collagen synthesis, was observed between Days 5 and 15 which could be effectively suppressed by skin grafting. Decreased prolyl hydroxylase activities under grafts probably reflect decreased collagen synthesis. Collagen concentration (μg hydroxyproline/mg dry wt) increased in grafted granulation tissue while collagen per unit area decreased, suggesting a greater resorption of noncollagenous granulation tissue components. The removal of noncollagenous substances in open and grafted wound granulation tissue by the hyaluronidase described in the present study provides the first example of a functioning degradative system that could help to account for such collagen concentration increases.