Characterization of hypertrophic scar formation in nude and knockout mice deficient in T, B and natural killer cells

• Author / Creator

  Momtazi, Moein

• Introduction: Hypertrophic scar (HSc) is a fibroproliferative disorder lacking a relevant animal model. Our objective is to characterize proliferative scars in human xenografts generated after grafting human skin onto mice deficient in T, B and natural killer cells.

  Methods: Nude, T-cell receptor (TCR) beta-/- delta-/-, RAG(recombination activating gene)-1-/- and RAG-2-/-gamma c-/- mice were xenografted with split thickness human skin. Controls were autografted with mouse skin. Animals were euthanized at 30, 60, 120 and 180 days postoperatively. Scar biopsies were subjected to hematoxylin and eosin, Masson’s trichrome, toluidine blue and picrosirius red staining. Immunohistochemistry included anti-human HLA-ABC, alpha–smooth muscle actin, decorin and biglycan staining.

  Results: Xenografting nude mice with human skin results in scars morphologically, histologically and immunohistochemically similar to human HSc. Knockout animals developed similar scars and demonstrate greater capacity for scar remodeling.

  Conclusion: Proliferative xenograft scars in knockout animals better represent the natural history of HSc. The role of activated, profibrotic fibrocytes and macrophages in these animals requires further investigation.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Nude
  • Models
  • Hypertrophic
  • Mouse
  • Scar

• Graduation date

  Spring 2012

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3SW9C

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.