Stimulated TNF-α release in macrophage and enhanced migration of dermal fibroblast by β-glucan

β-Glucan, a heterogeneous group of glucose polymers, modulates wound healing via macrophages, which are stimulated to release growth factors and cytokines, as well as via glucan receptors on fibroblasts, which are activated to migrate and synthesize collagen. The placement of β-glucan/collagen onto an arm of a young child with a scald burn improved healing of a partial-thickness burn wound. In this study, the effects of (1 → 3), (1 → 6)-β-d-glucan on the cytokine release in a macrophage cell line, RAW 264.7, were investigated. The effects of β-glucan on the proliferation and migration of adult human dermal fibroblasts (aHDFs) were also examined. When RAW 264.7 cells were treated with β-glucan, TNF-α secretion was stimulated in a dose-dependent manner, but IL-6 secretion was not. On the other hand, β-glucan treatment to aHDFs with 1 mg/ml resulted in a significant (p < 0.05) increase not in cell proliferation, but in cell migration. These results suggest that β-glucan can stimulate TNF-α release in macrophages and enhance fibroblast migration, which may accelerate wound healing.