The cytotoxicities and anti-fibrotic effects of mitomycin C and pirfenidone on human dermal fibroblast were evaluated.

Initially, 24-hour cell cultures were exposed to transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, different concentrations of mitomycin C, and pirfenidone solutions in order to evaluate cytotoxicity. Expressions of fibronectin, collagen type 1, α smooth muscle, and β-actin were evaluated by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blot in mitomycin C solutions at concentrations of 4 µg/mL and 20 µg/mL, and in pirfenidone solutions at 250 µg/mL and 500 µg/mL.

In comparison to cell cultures exposed to TGF-β1 solutions, cytotoxicities were increased in solutions of mitomycin C at 4 µg/mL, 20 µg/mL, 40 µg/mL and pirfenidone at 500 µg/mL, 750 µg/mL, 1,000 µg/mL ( p < 0.05, Mann Whitney U -test). The results of real-time RT-PCR show that expressions of fibronectin, collagen type 1, and α smooth muscle were significantly more decreased in all concentrations of mitomycin C and pirfenidone compared to those in TGF-β1 solution. In western blot analysis, expressions of fibronectin and α smooth muscle were decreased in all concentrations of mitomycin C and pirfenidone compared to TGF-β1 solution.

Both drugs have cytotoxicities and anti-fibrotic effects, but pirfenidone was found to have less cytotoxicity and mitomycin C was found to have more anti-fibrotic effects when compared to each other.