Time-dependent appearances of myofibroblasts during the repair of contused skeletal muscle in rat and its application for wound age determination / 法医学杂志

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE@#To research the relation between the time-dependent appearances of myotibroblasts during the repair of contused skeletal muscle in rat and wound age determination.@*METHODS@#A total of 35 SD male rats were divided into the control and six injured groups according to wound age as follows 12 h, 1 d, 5 d, 7 d, 10 d and 14 d after injury. The appearances of myofibroblasts were detected by HE staining, immunohistochemistry and confocal laser scanning microscopy. Masson's trichrome staining was utilized to examine collagen accumulation in the contused areas.@*RESULTS@#Immunohistochemical staining showed that α-SMA+ myofibroblasts were initially observed at 5 d post-injury. The average ratio of myofibroblasts was highest at 14 d post-injury, with all samples, ratios more than 50%. In the other five groups, the average of α-SMA positive ratios were less than 50%. The collagen stained areas in the contused zones, concomitant with myofibroblast appearance, were increasingly augmented along with advances of posttraumatic interval.@*CONCLUSION@#The immunohistochemical detection of myofibroblasts can be applied to wound age determination. The myofibroblasts might be involved in collagen deposition during the repair of contused skeletal muscle in rat.