Distribution of fibroblast growth factors and their roles in skin fibroblast cell migration

Fibroblast growth factor (FGF)2/basic FGF is a member of the fibroblast growth factor family. Its function in skin wound healing has been well-characterized. However, the function of other FGFs in skin tissues remains to be elucidated. In the present study, FGF expression patterns in heart, liver, skin and kidney tissues were analyzed. Notably, in contrast to other tissues, only four FGFs, FGF2, 7, 10 and 21, were dominant in the skin. To examine FGF function in the wound healing process, mouse NIH3T3 fibroblast cells were treated with FGF2, FGF10 and FGF21, and cell migration was monitored. The results revealed that FGF treatment promoted cell migration, which is an important step in wound healing. In addition, FGF treatment enhanced the activity of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), a key regulator of fibroblast cell migration. To analyze its role in cell migration, FGF7 was overexpressed in fibroblast cells via a lentivirus system; however, this did not change cell migration speed. FGF2, 7, 10 and 21 were highly expressed in skin tissue, and all except FGF7 regulated fibroblast cell migration and activated JNK. The results of the present study increase our understanding of the role of FGFs in skin wound healing.