Objective-Collagen-binding integrins may be involved in controlling interstitial fluid pressure (Pif), transcapillary fluid flux, and tissue fluid volume. Our aim was to explore whether the newly discovered collagen binding ␣111 integrin has a mechanistic role in inflammatory edema formation. Methods and Results-In collagen matrices seeded with a mixture of mast cells and fibroblasts, fibroblasts lacking the ␣11 integrin subunit (␣11 Ϫ/Ϫ ) contracted collagen gels less efficiently than control fibroblasts, suggesting that the ␣111 integrin is able to mediate tensile force in connective tissues. In ␣11 Ϫ/Ϫ mice, control Pif in skin did not differ from the pressure found in wild-type mice. Whereas a reduction in Pif was found in control mice after inducing inflammation, thereby contributing to fluid extravasation and edema formation, such a reduction was not seen in ␣11 Ϫ/Ϫ mice. That this effect is mediated through the extracellular compartment is suggested by a similar plasma protein extravasation ratio in ␣11Ϫ/Ϫ and wild-type mice. Conclusions-Our data suggest that ␣111 integrins on dermal fibroblasts mediate collagen lattice remodeling and have a mechanistic role in controlling Pif in inflammation and thereby fluid extravasation and edema formation in vivo. Key Words: collagen Ⅲ endothelium Ⅲ extracellular matrix Ⅲ genetically altered mice Ⅲ microcirculation F luid flux across the capillaries is governed by hydrostatic and colloid osmotic pressure gradients between plasma and interstitium. Edema (ie, extravascular fluid accumulation in the tissue) is one of the key features of inflammation and is the result of increased transcapillary fluid transport in this condition. During inflammation there is an increased capillary leakage, but also initially a rapid decrease in the hydrostatic pressure outside the capillary, the interstitial fluid pressure (Pif), which is quantitatively more important than increased capillary permeability as a driving force in the initial phase of edema generation. 1,2 Traditionally, cells are not included in the interstitium, defined as the extracellular compartment between the blood vessels and lymphatics of a tissue. 3,4 In recent studies, however, we have shown an active role of the interstitium in edema generation during inflammation (reviewed in 2 ), and in the present context we include cells (ie, fibroblasts) when addressing the mechanisms for edema generation. Furthermore, our studies have suggested a role for integrins in controlling interstitial fluid volume (Vif) by their ability to modulate force from the cytoskeleton inside the cells to the structural proteins (ie, collagens) of the extracellular matrix outside the cell. The normal fluid homeostasis is dependent on functioning collagen-binding integrins, and the result of perturbed integrin function can be edema. 2,5,6 There are four collagen-binding integrins: ␣11, ␣21, ␣101 and ␣111, and in previous studies we have shown a role for ␣21 in control of Vif. 6,7 The ␣111 integrin has, similar to the ␣21 integr...