THE MOUSE EAR MODEL OF CUTANEOUS SULFUR MUSTARD INJURY

The mouse ear inflammation model was used to establish simple endpoints of skin injury following cutaneous exposure to sulfur mustard (bis(2- chloroethyl)sulfide, HD). Mouse ear edema and histopathologic response to a single topical application of 5 muL of 8, 16, 32, 64, or 128 mg/mL HD in dichloromethane was evaluated at 12, 18, and 24 h postexposure. Edema response was determined from weighed 8 mm diameter skin punch biopsies taken from the center of exposed and control ears. Key light microscopic histopathologic changes assessed on the inner (exposed side) and outer surfaces (contralateral side) of the exposed ear included epidermal necrosis (EN) and epidermal-dermal separation (subepidermal blister, SEB). HD produced statistically significant (p