THE INSTITUTIONAL ANIMAL CARE AND USE COMMITTEE (IACUC)
IACUC / LARC STANDARD PROCEDURES
SKIN TRANSPLANTATION IN MICE (Posted May 2007)
Description of procedure:
Preparation of Donor Tissue: The donor mouse is euthanized. The tail is removed and
disinfected with 70% ethanol and the skin is removed with a sterile scalpel blade, making a slit
around the circumference of the tail and then down the middle. Using sterile forceps, the tail
skin is pulled off the bone in one complete piece. Skin is placed in a Petri dish lid with dermis
down and cut into square segments. The skin is kept moist with sterile PBS-soaked gauze,
placed on the bottom of the Petri dish.
Grafting Procedure: Recipient mice are anesthetized and analgesics are administered in accord
with the protocol. The surgical site is shaved or clipped and disinfected with betadine or
chlorhexidine. Using sterile curved iris scissors, an area of skin slightly larger than the skin graft
is carefully snipped away, being careful not to cut the panniculus (graft size specified in
protocol). The donor skin graft is placed onto the prepared graft bed, and secured with a piece
of non-adhering gauze (Adaptec) pad. The wound is secured with an adhesive strip. Antibiotics
may be indicated The mouse is placed in a cage with a heating lamp, or heat pad, and allowed
to recover. After a number of days (between 7-14 days) mice are anesthetized and the adhesive
strips and gauze removed. Transplanted mice will be followed until graft rejection or until a time
specified in the protocol, when they will be euthanized for study.
Mice will be evaluated for general appearance, ability to move normally around cage and reach
food and water, ability to eat and drink, grooming habits, skin color, lethargy, aggression
(animals will be housed individually if aggressive behavior is shown). Mice will be evaluated by
the Body Condition scoring index or by body weight. Mice will be monitored continuously after
anesthesia until ambulatory. Mice are then monitored daily for the first 5-7 days and weekly
thereafter for 60-160 days. Mice with a Body Condition score < 2 or loss of 15% body weight will
be euthanized.
Literature search words required:
Literature search was performed for refinement of this Standard Procedure on April 9, 2007
Key Words
Search Site
Years Covered
Skin graft rejection in mice
Pubmed
1956-2007
Agents:
Anesthestics, antibiotics, analgesics
This procedure requires general anesthesia and systemic analgesics. All agents administered to
animals should be listed in the "Agents" section of RIO.
Adverse Effects:
Procedure, Agent or Potential Adverse
Phenotype
Effects
Skin graft rejection
Management
Infection, skin slough Antibiotics or euthanasia if infection is
severe
Monitoring Parameters:
Monitoring
Parameters
Frequency
PI/Lab will Document
General
appearance/activity
level
Examine graft site
First 5-7 days postgrafting then weekly
thereafter
First 5-7 days postgrafting then weekly
thereafter
No
Yes
Body condition
First 5-7 days postNo - unless indicated
scoring or body
grafting then weekly
weight
thereafter
Describe the conditions, complications, and criteria (e.g. uncontrolled infection,
loss of more than 15% body weight, etc.) that would lead to removal of an animal
from the study, and describe how this will be accomplished (e.g. stopping
treatment, euthanasia).
Euthanasia criteria: BCS < 2 or weight loss of 15%. Animals with sloughed grafts will
be euthanized.
For all investigators housing animals with tumor formation, skin lesions,
neurological deficits, or that are in Category E, list the expected
characteristics/clinical presentations and endpoints of the animal model and the
criteria for euthanasia. Note: The IACUC also requires such lists to be posted in
the respective animal rooms and monitored by the IACUC compliance staff and
LARC, to assure PI adherence to the endpoints listed.
Euthanasia criteria: BCS < 2 or weight loss of 15%. Animals with sloughed grafts will
be euthanized.