FIGURE 1.
Inhibition of HA synthesis by CF. Human skin fibroblasts were incubated for 24 h with CF (125 μg/ml) generated by digestion of type I collagen gels. A, change in morphology of fibroblasts in response to CF, 63× magnification. B, pericellular HA was preserved by acid-formalin/ethanol fixation and stained with biotinylated HABP and streptavidin-FITC, 63× magnification; insets, at 200× magnification. Arrows point at strands of pericellular HA. C, HA secretion into the medium. D, molecular weight distribution of [3H]glucosamine-labeled HA as determined by Sephacryl S1000 chromatography. E, pie chart of relative mRNA expression of HAS isoforms as determined by real time RT-PCR. F, regulation of HAS isoforms in response to CF as determined by real time RT-PCR; n = 3–6, mean ± S.E., *, p < 0.05; ***, p < 0.01.