Abstract: Objective To investigate the time-dependent expression of c-jun during the healing of incised wound in mice skin. Methods The expression of c-jun in different stages after the incised wound were detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. Results There was a low level expression of c-jun in normal mice skin. Expression of c-jun was mainly detected in neutrophils from 3 h to 12 h after injury. The c-jun positive cells were almost mononuclear cells (MNCs) and fibroblasts between 1 d and 5 d after injury. The c-jun positive cells were mostly fibroblasts between 7 d and 14 d after injury. The ratio of the c-jun positive cells increased in the wound specimens from 3 h to 12 h, peaked at 12 h, declined partially from 1 d to 5 d, and reached the peak secondly at 7 d, then decreased from 10 d to 14 d. The expression of c-jun was observed throughout the wound healing stages by Western blot with two peaks occurring at 12 h and 7 d after injury. Conclusion The c-jun may play a potential role in inducing apoptosis of neutrophils, MNCs and fibroblasts during skin wound healing, and it may be used as the marker for wound age determination.

Key words: forensic pathology, wounds and injuries, wound healing, genes, jun, wound age, mice