Exploring Cadaver Skin For Standardization Of Rabbit And Porcine Burn Models In Research

Burn animal models provide substantial insights into burn pathophysiology. Choice of the apt model is important for determining the clinical efficacy of new medicines. Therefore, standardization of burn models is crucial for scientific research. Use of common techniques like hot water, electricity and incandescent instruments to generate animal burn models is widely reported. However, great discrepancy in employed temperature and exposure times demands user-dependent standardization of the animal model prior to research. Establishment of custom generated in vivo burn models giving consideration to reduced use, suffering and risk of the experimental animal is equally crucial. Accordingly, this pilot study demonstrates a novel approach using rabbit and porcine cadaver skin for standardization of burn parameters prior to use in live animal models. Using a custom-made soldering iron coupled to a 16cm2 surface area copper plate, burns at randomly chosen temperatures of 80˚C and 120˚C, with exposure times ranging from 60s to 180s, were produced on rabbit and porcine cadaver skins. On gross and histopathological analysis, parameters required to generate characteristic changes for deep partial and full thickness burn involvement were established. The identified temperature and exposure time parameters were further validated in live animal models. In vivo validation established the success of this approach, highlighting reduced animal use, ease, reproducibility and efficacy in burn model standardization. The findings of this study will hopefully encourage researchers to opt for cadaver skin to determine parameters required to generate a specific degree of burn prior to its use in live animals for burn research.