Restorative effect of organic germanium compound (Ge-132) on dermal injury

We investigated the effect of organic germanium compound (Ge-132) on experimental dermal injury in rats and cultured human dermal fibroblasts cells. For in vivo studies, the dermal wound was formed by extracting a full-thickness skin of parietal region in rats. The dermal wound was treated with 250 μl of 1.8% Ge-132 isotonic solution or physiological saline solution as a control once a day. At 1, 3, 7, and 14 days, the area of wound was measured and the dermal wound part was subjected to the histopathological examination. For in vitro studies, Hs68 cells were treated with Ge-132 (0.1-10 μg/ml) for 24 h, and then wound contraction was measured by collagen gel contraction assay and TGF-β1 and α-SMA mRNA expressions were measured by RT-PCR. A group without the addition of Ge-132 served as a control. We found that Ge-132 significantly reduced the wound area at 7 (P < 0.01) and 14 days (P < 0.05), and also decreased edema and increased proliferation of fibroblasts and formation of collagen fibers at 7 days, and induced necrosis, neutrophil infiltration, and macrophage at 14 days on experimental dermal injury in rats. In addition, Ge-132 increased gel contraction (P < 0.05), and TGF-β1 and α-SMA mRNA expressions (P < 0.05) at 24 h in Hs68 cell. These results suggested that Ge-132 might be effective in dermal wound healing.