Morphologic Effects of Sulfur Mustard on a Human Skin Equivalent

Abstract

AbstractTestskin, a commercially available human skin equivalent, was used as a model system to study the temporal morphologic effects of a single vesicating vapor dose of sulfur mustard (HD). Samples were exposed to 10 μl HD vapor for 8 min and harvested at 1, 3,6, 12, and 24 hr following exposure. Control samples not exposed to HD were harvested at 0 and 24 hr. Light and electron microscopic analysis revealed that the basal cell of the stratum germinativum was selectively affected beginning at 3-6 hr. These early basal cell changes included an apparent widening of intercellular spaces, a disabling of desmosomal attachments, rounding of cells, nuclear condensations and pyknosis, rearrangement of cytoplasmic tonofilaments to a perinuclear position, and perinuclear blebbing. At 12 and 24 hr, the cyto-pathologic changes progressed to cytoplasmic vacuolation, swollen endoplasmic reticulum, electron opacities, and necrosis, which now involved suprabasal cell layers as well. At the basement membrane zone, cell...