Histopathologic effects of cutaneous tape stripping in pigs

The stratum corneum (SC) is the major barrier to topical absorption of medications. Skin tape stripping (TS) removes the stratum corneum, allowing more rapid absorption of drugs such as local anesthetics. Prior to evaluating TS in human clinical trials, this study was performed to evaluate its immediate and delayed histopathologic effects in swine.

This was a prospective, interventional, longitudinal, experimental animal study using two isoflurane-anesthetized young swine. Cellophane tape was applied to the skin of clipped swine flanks and peeled away 10, 15, 20, 25, or 30 times. Each level of tape stripping was performed three times in each pig. Full-thickness biopsies were taken at 30 minutes and two weeks later for blinded histopathologic evaluation by a dermatopathologist using randomly ordered hematoxylin-and-eosin-stained tissue sections and conventional light microscopy. The absolute thickness of the cornified layer was measured and compared with normal (unstripped) cornified layer.

Tape stripping up to 30 times produces thinning of the SC without detectable changes in the underlying epidermis and dermis at 30 minutes and 14 days post-stripping. The degree of thinning was proportional to the number of tape applications. Complete recovery of the cornified layer was noted at two weeks. There were no adverse effects, such as infection, scarring, or inflammatory cell infiltrates.

Under the conditions studied, TS not only appears safe, but appears to produce no long-term sequelae.