Figure 2

The inflammatory response which is developed after skin injury is divided into evolutive vascular phenotypes and phases. Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R), leukocytic (L) and angiogenic (A) phenotypes are successively expressed during the vascular inflammation. The injured tissue losses its normal structure and acquires functional autonomy during ischemia-reperfusion and leukocytic phenotype expression. Then, when the angiogenic phenotype is progressively expressed, the tissue is re-structured and specialized. In the immediate nervous phase, depolarization and repolarization of cell membranes would be the key pathophysiological mechanism. During the immune phase, the transient synthesis of adhesion molecules favors cellular and bacterial translocation. Lastly, in the endocrine phase the skin tries to recover its parenchymatous structure, or epithelium (regeneration), as well as its stroma or connective tissue (scarring).