During skin healing, periostin facilitates myofibroblast differentiation through a β1
integrin/FAK dependent mechanism and continued expression is associated with scarring.
In contrast to skin, gingival tissue does not typically scar upon injury, but the role of periostin
in gingival healing has never been investigated. Using a rat gingivectomy model, we show
that the gingival architecture is re-established within 14 days of wounding. Periostin mRNA
levels peak at day 7 post-wounding, with persistence of periostin protein in the connective …

Results Gingival tissue is re-established within 14 days of gingivectomy. To investigate the
gingival healing process temporally, we assessed the regeneration of the gingival
connective tissue and oral epithelium in rats at days 1, 3, 7, and 14 post-wounding, with
unwounded gingiva serving as a structural baseline control (day 0)(Fig. 1). Using Masson's
trichrome staining which allows visualization and differentiation of fine and coarse collagen
fibers that appear in the remodeling phase of wound healing 31, the normal unwounded …