title: Poly-L-arginine topical lotion tested in a mouse model for frostbite injury.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Frostbite injury occurs when exposure to cold results in frozen tissue. We recently reported a novel mouse model for frostbite injury to be used in screening potentially therapeutic drugs and other modalities.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We used the mouse skin frostbite model to evaluate the effect of poly-l-arginine contained in lotion (PAL) applied topically to involved skin.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty mice were studied in a randomized, double-blind method. Standardized 2.9-cm-diameter circles were tattooed on the mouse dorsum. Magnets snap frozen in dry ice (-78.5°C) were used to create a frostbite injury on skin within the circle as a continuous 5-minute freeze. Mice were treated with prefreeze placebo, postthaw placebo, combined prefreeze and postthaw placebo, prefreeze with PAL, postthaw with PAL, or combined prefreeze and postthaw with PAL. Appearance, healing rate, tissue loss, and histology were recorded until the wounds were healed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Application of PAL before inducing frostbite injury resulted in decreased tissue loss as compared with other treatment conditions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Applying PAL topically to frostbitten mouse skin caused decreased tissue loss. Poly-l-arginine should be studied further to determine whether it is a beneficial therapeutic modality for frostbite injury.
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA.
authors.forename: Lauren J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Auerbach
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Dermatology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA.
authors.forename: Brittney K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: DeClerk
authors.affiliation: Division of Immunology and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA.
authors.forename: C Garrison
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Fathman
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA.
authors.forename: Geoffrey C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Gurtner
authors.affiliation: Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA. Electronic address: auerbach@stanford.edu.
authors.forename: Paul S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Auerbach
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005627:Frostbite / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010455:Peptides / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D010455:Peptides; C015462:polyarginine
keywords: cold injury; frostbite; mouse model; poly-l-arginine; wound healing