[Gene expression of angiogenesis-related factors in fetal skin at different developmental stages and childhood skin].

Objective: To explore the change in gene expression of angiogenesis-related factors vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1), acid fibroblast growth factor (aFGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), in fetal skin at different developmental stages and children skin and their potential biological significances.

Methods: Fetal skin samples of human embryo were obtained from spontaneous abortion at different gestational ages ranging from 13 to 32 weeks, and children skin specimens were collected from child patients (4-12 years) undergoing plastic surgery. After morphological characteristics of skin at different developmental stages were defined histologically gene expressions of VEGF, Ang-1, aFGF and bFGF were examined with reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis (RT-PCR).

Results: The trend of changes in gene expression of VEGF, Ang-1, aFGF and bFGF was not same for different skin specimens at various developmental stages. In early gestational fetal skin, genes of VEGF and Ang-1 were strongly expressed, while in late gestational and childhood skins, gene expressions of VEGF and Ang-1 were apparently decreased. In skin of middle gestational stage, the level of aFGF gene expression was highest, and then it was progressively reduced. In childhood skin, this gene was weakly expressed. In marked contrast, the contents of transcripts of bFGF showed no substantial change in fetal skin at different developmental stages, whilst the mRNA content of bFGF was significantly decreased in childhood skin.

Conclusion: VEGF, Ang-1, aFGF and bFGF might be involved in regulating angiogenesis in skin from fetuses of different gestational stages and children. The relative increase in gene transcription of VEGF and Ang-1 in younger fetal skin might be one of the reasons why cutaneous cells proliferate rapidly and the wounds heal without scar.