The influence of oxygen and pressure on keratinocytes

Abstract

Thisstudy aims to elucidate the respective effects of normobaric hyperoxygenationand hyperbaric pressurisation on key re-epithelialisation processes in woundhealing. Cultured human keratinocytes exposed to intermittent normobaric hyperoxygenationexhibited enhanced cellularmigration marked by a significant decline in E-cadherin expression. Keratinocyteproliferation, cellular metabolic activity, as well as IL-6 and IL-8 releasewere also significantly reduced. These changes were not observed with hyperbaricpressurisation alone. Moreover, cellular differentiation was not altered undernormobaric hyperoxygenation or hyperbaric pressurisation. Thus, we concludethat hyperoxygenation differentially modulates key cellular processes in re-epithelialisation.Oxygenation, but not pressurisation, appears to be the predominant factor modulatingkeratinocyte migration and proliferation. These findings argue for an alternativetreatment modality to hyperbaric oxygenation for wound healing, focused on enhancingtissue oxygenation without administering hyperbaric pressures.