Effect of Immediately Post-operative Administration of bFGF on Myofibroblast Apoptosis in the Wound Healing Process of Rat Palate

  • Yuichiro Hata, Section of Orthodontics, Department of Oral Growth & Development, Fukuoka Dental College, Japan
  • Takeshi Ueki, Section of Orthodontics, Department of Oral Growth & Development, Fukuoka Dental College, Japan
  • Kazuki Nakashima, Section of Orthodontics, Department of Oral Growth & Development, Fukuoka Dental College, Japan
  • Yuka Nakatomi, Section of Orthodontics, Department of Oral Growth & Development, Fukuoka Dental College, Japan
  • Eich Tsuruga, Section of Functional Structure, Department of Morphological Biology, Fukuoka Dental College, Japan
  • Yoshihiko Sawa, Section of Functional Structure, Department of Morphological Biology, Fukuoka Dental College, Japan
  • Kunihisa Taniguchi, Section of Pathology, Department of Morphological Biology, Fukuoka Dental College, Japan
  • Hiroyuki Ishikawa, Section of Orthodontics, Department of Oral Growth & Development, Fukuoka Dental College, Japan

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of post-operative administration of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) on myofibroblast apoptosis in the wound healing of rat palate immediately after mucoperiosteal denudation.
Methods: Twenty-four male Wistar rats were divided into four groups: a scar formation group, a bFGF group, a sham control group, and a control group. The scar formation, sham control and bFGF groups had lateral mucoperiosteum excised from the palate and covered with fibrin glue. In the bFGF group, bFGF solution was injected into the operated area immediately after excision. At 2, 5 and 7 days post-operatively, the expression of alpha-SMA and apoptosis were investigated by double immunofluorescence staining.
Results: In the bFGF group, the expression of apoptosis was lower than that in the scar formation group after 5 days. This was not seen after 7 days. The expression of apoptosis was seen in the scar formation and sham groups at 5 and 7 days post-operatively. These findings suggest that the bFGF group may show a wider expression of apoptosis before 5 days post-operatively, compared with the scar formation and sham control groups.
Conclusion: Immediately post-operative administration of bFGF promotes myofibroblast apoptosis in the wound healing process of rat palate, and may result in suppression of scar tissue formation.