ABSTRACT
[Abstract ] Objective More and more researches demonstrate that epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT) is highly rele-vant to cancer metastasis , tissue fibrosis and skin wound healing , but its role in the wound healing of oral mucosa still needs further ex-ploration.This study was designed to discuss the effects of EMT on the wound healing of lingual mucous membrane in rats . Methods A 3mm-diameter circular defect was made on the mucosa of lingual dorsum in 8-week-old Wistar rats.The rats were put to death at day 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 8 after operation.We observed tissue healing process by HE staining and used immunohistochemical fluorescence to detect the expressions of EMT-related protein E-cadherin(E-cad), Vimentin and Fibroblast specific proteins (FSP1) in lingual mucous membrane during wound healing . Results The expressions of E-cad at the edge of the wound in the lingual mucous membrane of rats at day 2 and 4 after operation were less than those at day 0 and 1 after operation , while interstitial cell specific protein Vimentin and FSP1 were positively expressed in the epidermal basal layer .The wound of lingual mucous membrane healed completely at day 8 after operation , and E-cad expression was close to that at day 0 after operation .A small amount of Vimentin and FSP 1 expressed in the epi-thelial basal layer . Conclusion E-cad, Vimentin, FSP1 are involved in the wound healing process of lingual mucous membrane . During the wound healing in the tongue mucous membrane of rats , some epithelial cells gain the feature of mesenchymal cells in the process of migration to wound centre .EMT has played an important role during wound healing of lingual mucous membrane in rats .