[Expression of basic fibroblast growth factor during wound healing of human fetal and adult skin and its significance].

OBJECTIVE

To explore the expression of basic fibroblast growth factor(bFGF) during the wound healing of human fetal and adult skin and its significance.

METHODS

We established the animal model of fetal scarless healing by transplanting full-thickness skin grafts from human fetus to a subcutaneous location on the athymic mouse recipient, and then making the linear incisions. The expression of bFGF was observed in the normal adult skin, normal fetal skin and during wound healing by immunohistochemical method. The positive staining cells were counted under selected high-power focus randomly.

RESULTS

bFGF staining was not observed in the normal fetal skin and the wounded one. However, strongly positive staining was shown around the vessels in normal adult skin. Moreover, the positive straining became stronger in the wounded skin, especially in dermal fibroblasts and endotheliocytes. The number of positive staining cell was 2.1 +/- 0.1 in normal fetal skin, and 2.2 +/- 0.1, 2.1 +/- 0.3, 2.1 +/- 0.3 and 2.0 +/- 0.1 in the fetal skins after 12 hours, 1 day, 3 days and 7 days of wound respectively. The number of positive staining cell were 23.2 +/- 4.2 in normal adult skin and 40.5 +/- 3.6 in the wound adult skin. There was significant difference between the fetal skin and adult skin (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

The negative expression of bFGF in the fetal skin may be one of the important reasons for fetal scarless healing.