Hyaluronic acid inhibits the adherence and growth of monolayer keratinocytes but does not affect the growth of keratinocyte epithelium

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is involved in epidermal biology but evidence for its functional significance is sparse. In this study, low-calcium monolayer and high-calcium epithelium cultures of human keratinocytes were used to study the effect of up to four different HA preparations on keratinocyte growth and on the adherence of proliferating keratinocytes onto the plastic surface coated with different matrix proteins. In suboptimally growing monolayer culture, up to 1,000 μg/ml rooster comb HA and streptococcus equi HA inhibited keratinocyte growth. Instead, all HA preparations tested did not affect the growth and migration of keratinocyte epithelium using optimal or suboptimal growth conditions. In the cell adherence assays, up to 1,000 μg/ml rooster comb HA and streptococcus equi HA inhibited the keratinocyte adherence onto the fibronectin- and collagen-coated substratum. In contrast to other HA preparations, HA from human umbilical cord did not affect the growth of monolayer keratinocytes and it increased markedly the cell adherence onto the collagen-coated substratum. This increase, however, can be attributed to chonroitin sulphate proteoglycan contaminant present in this HA preparation. In conclusion, HA can inhibit the growth and adherence of proliferating monolayer keratinocytes, but it has no apparent effect on the growth and migration of keratinocyte epithelium.