title: Increased expressions and activations of apoptosis-related factors in cell signaling during incised skin wound healing in mice: a preliminary study for forensic wound age estimation.
abstract: Recent studies have demonstrated that apoptosis plays a pivotal role during skin wound healing and apoptosis-related factors in cell signaling regulate a variety of cellular function. In this study, the expressions of p38MAPK, and JNK, iNOS, eNOS were detected and the activations of caspase-6, -7, -8, -9, and calpain, another signaling pathway of apoptosis, were also investigated by immunohistochemical staining and Western blotting in mice. A time-dependent increase of each protein level was observed by immunohistochemistry and Western blot in mouse skin incision. p38MAPK level peaked at 12 h and 3 d, calpain level peaked at 1 d and 5 d, iNOS level peaked at 1 d and 10 d, while the peak levels of eNOS, caspase-6, -7, -8, and -9 occurred at 3 d and p-JNK at 1 d post-injury. In the early phase of wound healing, infiltrating polymorphonulcear cells were labeled with all the factors except caspase-8. Thereafter, infiltrating mononuclear cells and proliferating spindle-shaped fibroblastic cells showed positive staining for p38MAPK, JNK, calpain, caspases and NOS. The activation of caspase-8, -9, -6, and -7 as detected by Western blot indicated that caspase apoptotic pathway may take effect in cellular elimination during skin wound healing. From the viewpoint of forensic pathology, the time-dependent expressions of the factors in apoptotic pathway during skin incised wound healing may be used as potential markers for wound age estimation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Pathology, China Medical University School of Forensic Medicine, No. 92, Beier Road, Heping District, Shenyang 110001, Liaoning Province, PR China.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Da-Wei
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Chang-Yan
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: Bao-Li
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Jian-Jun
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002154:Calpain / Q000378:metabolism; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000378:metabolism; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000378:metabolism; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000378:metabolism; D012867:Skin / Q000293:injuries* / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors; D014945:Wound Healing; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; C496317:Nos2 protein, mouse; C496315:Nos3 protein, mouse; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D002154:Calpain; D020169:Caspases