[A preliminary study on the identification and distribution of epidermal stem cells in different degrees of burn wounds in scalded rats].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the distribution of epidermal stem cells (ESCs) in different degrees of burn wounds in scalded rats.


METHODS
Thirty-two Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were employed in the study. First degree (I), shallow (shallow II) and deep partial thickness (deep II) and full thickness burn wounds (III) were created on the rat skin. Burn wound samples were harvested at 24 postburn hours (PBHs) from all the wounds and were processed to tissue slices. The tissue slices were stained by immunohistochemistry technique. The expression and distribution of ESCs in different degrees of burn wounds were observed with integrins alpha 2 beta 1 and keratin 10 (K10) as first antibodies.


RESULTS
K10 positive cells were found to distribute in the strata spinosum, granulosum and lucidum in the first degree burn wound (I) with large amounts of integrins alpha 2 beta 1 positive cells in the residual basal layer and skin appendages (hair follicles) in shallow partial thickness burn wound (shallow II degree), and there were less integrins alpha 2 beta 1 positive cells in the remaining skin appendages in deep dermis in deep partial thickness burn wound (deep II degree). Finally, integrins alpha 2 beta 1 positive cells were sparsely found in the III degree burn wound.


CONCLUSIONS
The distribution of ESCs in burn wounds was closely related to the depth of burn wound. The residual ESCs might be the origin of burn wound regeneration and reepithelization.
Xie
Ju-lin
JL
Department of Burns, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, Guangdong Province, P.R. China.
Li
Tian-zeng
TZ
Qi
Shao-hai
SH
Bian
Hui-ning
HN
Cheng
Jian-ding
JD
Xu
Ying-bin
YB
Liang
Hui-zhen
HZ
D000818:Animals; D002056:Burns / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D038982:Integrin alpha2beta1 / Q000032:analysis; D053550:Keratin-10; D007633:Keratins / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology*
D038982:Integrin alpha2beta1; D053550:Keratin-10; D007633:Keratins