Histology of the thick scar on the female, red Duroc pig: final similarities to human hypertrophic scar.
The etiology and treatment of hypertrophic scar remain puzzles even after decades of research. A significant reason is the lack of an accepted animal model of the process. The female, red Duroc pig model was described long ago. Since the skin of the pig is similar to that of humans, we are attempting to validate this model and found it to be encouraging. In this project we quantified myofibroblasts, mast cells and collagen nodules in the thick scar of the Duroc pig and compared these to the values for human hypertrophic scar. We found the results to be quite similar and so further validated the model. In addition, we observed that soon after wounding an inflammatory cell layer forms. The thickness of the inflammatory layer approaches the thickness of the skin removed as if the remaining dermis "knows" how much dermis is gone. In deep wounds this inflammatory layer thickens and this thickness is predictive of the thickness of the ultimate scar.
Harunari
Nobuyuki
N
Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
Zhu
Kathy Q
KQ
Armendariz
Rebecca T
RT
Deubner
Heike
H
Muangman
Pornprom
P
Carrougher
Gretchen J
GJ
Isik
F Frank
FF
Gibran
Nicole S
NS
Engrav
Loren H
LH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods; D002648:Child; D017439:Cicatrix, Hypertrophic / Q000473:pathology*; D003095:Collagen Diseases / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008407:Mast Cells; D008875:Middle Aged; D013552:Swine; D014945:Wound Healing