Zhang, Z. and N. A. Monteiro-Riviere. Immunohistochemical Comparison of Integrin Subunits a2, a3, and b4 Expression in Human Skin , Pig Skin and Isolated Perfused Porcine Skin Flap. The Toxicologist 1996. 30:171.

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Integrins a2b1, a3b1 and a6b4, are expressed in the epidermis, and play an important role in wound-healing and epidermal-dermal interaction. The isolated perfused porcine skin flap (IPPSF) has been shown to be an in vitro model for chemical induced-vesication. In order to determine whether the IPPSF could be utilized to study chemical vesication in skin mediated by integrins, the expression of integrins a2b1, a3b1, and a6b4 was studied in human skin (HS), pig skin (PS) and IPPSF using immunohistochemical techniques. Staining of a2b1 and a3b1 was located at the periphery of stratum basale cells of the epidermis in HS, PS and the IPPSF. However, a3 antibody outlined the keratinocytes in all epidermal layers of the IPPSF and PS. In HS, PS and the IPPSF, a6b4 showed a continuous linear labeling at the epidermal-dermal junction. The IPPSF and PS showed stronger immunoreactivity with the antibody against b4. The distribution of a6b4 in bis-2-chloroethyl sulfide (HD) induced blisters were also examined in the IPPSF. The a6b4 staining was discontinuous and exclusively located on the epidermal side of the blister. This study demonstrates that the IPPSF expresses similar integrins to that of PS, HS, and the distribution of a6b4 in IPPSF blisters caused by HD is similar to some human basement membrane blistering diseases. Therefore, PS and the IPPSF are suitable models to study the role of integrin in wound-healing and blistering diseases occurring at the epidermal-dermal junction.