title: New model of radiation-induced skin ulcer in rats.
abstract: Our aim was to provide a new animal model for intractable skin ulcers in irradiated rats. Twenty-four rats were irradiated with total single radiographic irradiation doses of 10, 15, 20, and 30 Gy. The skin was observed for 6 months. In the 10-Gy group, there were no visible changes to the skin. In the 15-Gy group, epilation and depigmentation were seen about 2 weeks after irradiation. In the groups over 20-Gy, minor erosion or skin ulcers appeared in most rats. The wounds healed in the 20-Gy group, but many in the 30-Gy group could not be healed. A further 36 rats were irradiated with 20 Gy, and this was followed by the creation of cutaneous full-thickness defects at different periods. The size of the wounds was measured on days 0, 3, 5, 7, 10, and 14. Delayed wound healing was found in the irradiated groups compared with the unirradiated group (p = 0.01). There were no differences in the time of ulceration, except in the Day 7 group (p = 0.03).
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, National Defense Medical College, Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan.
authors.forename: Megumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takikawa
authors.forename: Shinichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nambu
authors.forename: Kaoru
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yanagibayashi
authors.forename: Ryuichi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Azuma
authors.forename: Naoto
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Tomoharu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kiyosawa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D011839:Radiation, Ionizing; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012883:Skin Ulcer / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D013997:Time Factors; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology*