Viability of glycerol-preserved and cryopreserved anuran skin

Anurans are important animal models for studying the effects of anthropogenic chemical contamination of the environment. Two-compartment Teflon flow-through diffusion cells can be used to study percutaneous absorption of xenobiotics across harvested skin. However, such an approach currently necessitates that skin be harvested just before experimentation, a requirement that calls for the continuous growth and housing of living animals. The ability to preserve and store skin would allow more efficient use of animals and more flexibility in experimental design. To this end, we examined the viability of harvested anuran skin stored under various protocols consistent with current practices of mammalian skin preservation. Skin from the American bullfrog maintained 80-85% viability after 28 d, whereas viability of skin from the marine toad was only maintained for 7-10 d.