Normal wound healing in mice deficient for fibulin-5, an elastin binding protein essential for dermal elastic fiber assembly

J Invest Dermatol. 2006 Dec;126(12):2707-14. doi: 10.1038/sj.jid.5700501. Epub 2006 Aug 10.

Abstract

Extracellular matrix proteins play a critical role in dermal wound healing by mediating matrix-cell interactions and re-establishing the dermal architecture and environment. Fibulin-5 is an elastin-binding protein essential for elastic fiber development in vivo, and it has recently been shown to inhibit angiogenesis in vitro. Here, we use mice deficient for the fibulin-5 gene (fbln5) to examine the role of fibulin-5 and the effect of the loss of elastic fibers in dermal wound healing. Fbln5 is upregulated in the granulation tissue 14 days after full-thickness wounding in wild-type mice, before the formation of elastic fibers. Although wounded fbln5(-/-) skin showed enhanced neovascularization compared to the wild-type skin, no difference in the rate of wound closure was observed between mutant and wild-type mice. In addition, a breaking strength test revealed that there was no difference in breaking stress or strain between wild-type and fbln5(-/-) wounded skin. These results suggest that fibulin-5 and elastic fibers are not directly involved in short-term wound healing. Clearly, the long-term effect of the absence of fibulin-5 on the function and integrity of regenerated skin needs to be further addressed.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Movement
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Dermis / pathology
  • Dermis / physiopathology
  • Elastic Tissue / physiopathology*
  • Extracellular Matrix Proteins / deficiency*
  • Extracellular Matrix Proteins / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout*
  • Neovascularization, Physiologic
  • Receptors, Cell Surface / metabolism*
  • Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
  • Skin / blood supply
  • Skin / injuries*
  • Skin / physiopathology*
  • Tensile Strength
  • Time Factors
  • Up-Regulation
  • Wound Healing*
  • Wounds, Penetrating / physiopathology

Substances

  • Extracellular Matrix Proteins
  • Fbln5 protein, mouse
  • Receptors, Cell Surface
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • elastin-binding proteins