[An immunohistochemical study on the expression of caspase-3 in the skin wound healing].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the expression of caspase-3 during skin wound healing and explore the applicability of caspase-3 to determination of wound age.


METHODS
The expression of caspase-3 were performed on 33 mice skin incised wounds at different posttraumatic intervals and 3 mice as control by immunohistochemical technique.


RESULTS
Expression of caspase-3 was detectable in polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs) in the wound specimens aged 6 h. In the wound specimens aged from 12 h to 24 h after injury, caspase-3 was identified in a large number of infiltrating PMNs and part of mononuclear cells (MNCs). Afterwards, the MNCs and fibroblastic cells (FBCs) accounted in the most part of the caspase-3 positive cells. Morphometrically, the ratio of the number of the caspase-3 stained PMNs, MNCs and FBCs to total number of the cells in the wounds was evaluated and calculated. The ratio of the caspase-3 positive cells was low in the wound specimens aged from 0 h to 3 h (4.53 +/- 6.53)%, and maximized in the wound specimens aged 3 day (62.66 +/- 4.84)%. Thereafter, the ratio decreased and minimized in the specimens aged 14 day (21.56 +/- 4.54)%.


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that caspase-3 may play an important role in inducing neutrophil, macrophage and fibroblast apoptosis during skin wound healing. Furthermore, caspase-3 may be used as a marker for the wound age determination.
Du
Yu
Y
School of Forensic Medicine, China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China.
Guan
Da-wei
DW
Zhao
Rui
R
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D012867:Skin / Q000293:injuries* / Q000378:metabolism*; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D013997:Time Factors; D014945:Wound Healing; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology
C505409:Casp3 protein, mouse; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases