A Murine Model for Measuring Sebum Production That Can Be Used to Test Therapeutic Agents for the Management of Acne Vulgaris

Acne vulgaris (acne) effects nearly 90% of all Western teenagers, and the only pharmaceutical class of agents to treat severe forms of this skin condition are the retinoids, which are well-described teratogens. Yet about 50% of the patients receiving this class of therapeutics are women of child-bearing age, in their peak years of reproductive potential. On this basis, there is a significant unmet medical need for agents to treat severe forms of acne that do not carry this liability. As a means to assess potential agents of this type, here we describe methods for estimating the relative amount of sebum that a mouse produces based on the water retention on fur following a thorough wetting procedure. We have shown that a compound that is clinically effective in reducing sebum production demonstrates activity in this model. The method is therefore useful for evaluating therapeutic candidates for reducing sebum production, which would in turn be useful for treating acne. We have broken the entire procedure down into two phases/two protocols, as listed below. © 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Pre-wash wet weight measurement Basic Protocol 2: Post-wash wet-weight measurement.