[Expression of FAP and alpha-SMA during the incised wound healing in mice skin].

UNLABELLED: OBJECTIVE To investigate the time-dependent expression of fibroblast activation protein (FAP) and alpha-smooth muscle actin(alpha-SMA) during the incised wound healing of the skin in mice. METHODS: The expression of FAP and alpha-SMA in incised wound of mice skin was detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. RESULTS: By immunohistochemistry, the expression of FAP and alpha-SMA in the normal skin and the skin 1 h after injury maintained at a very low level, but the positive cells expressing FAP and alpha-SMA started to elevate 6 h after injury and reached its peak on 5 d for FAP and on 3 d for alpha-SMA, then gradually decreased to the normal level on 14 d. The expression of FAP and alpha-SMA was observed throughout the wound healing stages 1 d after injuries by Western blot as well with a peak expression occurring on 5 d for FAP and on 3 d for alpha-SMA after injury. CONCLUSION: FAP may be a potentially useful marker for wound age determination and alpha-SMA may be used as an effective indicator for the mid- and late stage incised wound of mice skin. The combination use of FAP and alpha-SMA may be potentially effective indicators for wound age determination.