Journal
EXPERIMENTAL DERMATOLOGY
Volume 21, Issue 6, Pages 453-455Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0625.2012.01482.x
Keywords
dermis; epidermis; junctional epidermolysis bullosa; laminin gamma 2; push-pull force gauge; tail tension test
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Funding
- National Institutes of Health [AR054407]
- DeBRA Foundation
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Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) describes a spectrum of rare, incurable, inherited mechanobullous disorders unified by the fact that they are caused by structural defects in the basement membrane zone which disrupt adhesion between the epidermis and dermis. Mouse models provide valuable tools to define the molecular basis of these diseases and to test novel therapeutic approaches. There is need for rapid, quantitative tests that measure the integrity of dermalepidermal adhesions in such models. To address this need, we describe a novel quantitative method to determine the mechanical strength of the adhesion between tail skin epidermis and dermis. We show that this test reliably measures the force required to cause dermalepidermal separation in tails of mice that are genetically predisposed to a form of non-Herlitz Junctional EB which develops as the result of a hypomorphic mutation in the laminin gamma 2 gene (Lamc2jeb). This simple, quantitative method of directly measuring the tensile strength of dermalepidermal adhesion provides a novel dimension to the pathophysiological screening, evaluation, and therapeutic treatment of mice that may develop progressive forms of EB and potentially other disorders that compromise cutaneous integrity.
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