title: Monodelphis domesticus: a model for early developmental wound healing.
abstract: Fetuses heal significantly differently than adults; amniotic fluid and the fetal environment have profound effects on the fetus' response to excisional wounding. The Brazilian gray short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domesticus) is presented as a new model for early developmental wound healing. This is a small, docile, pouchless marsupial whose young, at birth, are equivalent to an 8-week gestational age human, which allows investigations of early developmental wound healing exclusive of the amniotic environment. Incisional and excisional wounds were made on the dorsum of pups 1 or 15 days after birth. The pups were killed 1, 3, or 6 days after wounding and were fixed for histology. All incisional wounds were bridged by keratinocytes within 24 hours. Day 1 excisional wounds healed 6 days after wounding with a hypertrophic layer of keratinocytes and no inflammation. Day 15 excisional wounds exhibited inflammation, focal necrosis, and healing by epithelial migration 6 days after wounding. This model allows for investigations into early developmental wound healing and exhibits responses dependent on age similar to prepartum and postpartum young of higher mammals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Bowman Gray School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27103.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Morykwas
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Ditesheim
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Ledbetter
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Crook
authors.forename: W L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Jennings
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Argenta
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000502:physiology* / Q000601:surgery; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009893:Opossums / Q000502:physiology*; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology*