title: Vasoactive pharmacologic responses of human skin xenografts in ciclosporin-treated rats.
abstract: Human skin xenografts in ciclosporin-treated rats have been reported to preserve many of the characteristics of normal human skin. This model was used to study the cutaneous responses of human skin xenografts and host rat skin to intradermal injections of vasoactive agents. The xenograft responses to corticosteroids (blanching), nicotinic acid (erythema), histamine HCl (urticaria), and privine (blanching) all paralleled those of the host rat skin. However, when quantitatively compared to the responses reported for human skin in vivo, the xenografts were less sensitive to these compounds. The large variability seen in the xenograft responses may be due to variable graft revascularization and to structural irregularities in the dermis from the recent grafting procedure. It is concluded that the lower sensitivity and variable responsiveness of the xenografts limit the potential usefulness of this pharmacologic model for evaluating vasoactive agents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of California, Irvine.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salm
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: McCullough
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Weinstein
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003524:Cyclosporins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006632:Histamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009525:Niacin / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000187:drug effects; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000187:drug effects; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000502:physiology*; D013256:Steroids / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D003524:Cyclosporins; D013256:Steroids; D009525:Niacin; D006632:Histamine