Ultrastructural and Immunohistochemical Characterization of an in Vitro Model of Human Epidermis: Its Potential for Sulfur Mustard Study

Abstract

AbstractThe morphopathology of sulfur mustard dermal toxicity has been studied largely with in vivo models such as the hairless guinea pig and domestic weanling pig. Although these models have provided useful clues toward the understanding of mechanisms of sulfur mustard-induced dermal lesions, the correlation with human skin is not exact and the continuing availability of any animal model is problematic. In the interest of reducing research dependence on animal models, and to provide a laboratory model for sulfur mustard study with some level of correlation to human skin, we are evaluating an in vitro human epidermal model developed by Rhoads. The model was generated by seeding human keratinocytes onto Millipore Milli-Cm inserts precoated with type I collagen. The model, grown in culture for 7 days, presented a replicate display of epidermal structural components typically found in vivo. There was evidence of organotypic differentiation and stratification with characteristic cell types recognized to each...