[The expressions of transcription factor c-fos mRNA and its protein in the burn wound of rats]

To investigate the rule of the expression in different time points of wound tissue transcription factor c-fos mRNA and its protein after burn, so as to explore the role of c-fos in the initiation of burn wound injury and repairing.

Male Wistar rats were inflicted with partial thickness scalding of 30% TBSA on the back. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemical methods were used to evaluate the characteristics and pattern of the changes in the expressions of the c-fos mRNA and its protein in normal skin and in the wounded skin at 3 h, 6 h, 1 d, 3 d, 7 d and 14 d postburn, respectively.

It was found by light microscopy (LM) that c-fos mRNA and its protein could be found expressed in normal skin and obviously increasingly expressed in wounded skin. The expression of fos protein reached peak level at 3 postburn hour (PBH) and that of its mRNA at 6 PBH.

The expression of c-fos mRNA and its protein could be induced during burn injury. But the postburn increase in the expression of its gene appeared later than that of its protein, suggesting that the early-appeared fos protein acted through its post-translational modification of preexisting fos molecule.