Abstract
Recent findings indicate that chemical stimulation of the porcine skin with capsaicin evokes a flare response similar to that observed in man. The aim of the present study was to elucidate whether chemical stimulation of cutaneous capsaicin-sensitive nerve endings with mustard oil produces neurogenic inflammatory reactions in the pig.
The application of mustard oil onto the abdominal skin of domestic pigs resulted in a pronounced flare response. After a previous intravenous injection of a solution of Evans blue, the skin area in contact with the irritant turned dark blue, indicating a marked extravasation of albumin. Quantitative estimation of the dye content of the skin supported this conclusion. The technique of vascular labelling revealed a delicate network of small subepidermal blood vessels in histological preparations after the application of mustard oil following a previous intravenous injection of colloidal silver. Labelled blood vessels were not noted outside the treated area.
The present results show that mustard oil produces a strong cutaneous inflammatory response in the pig, and suggest that the porcine skin provides a valuable model for study of the significance of capsaicinsensitive sensory nerves in vascular and other cutaneous reactions.
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Jancsó, G., Pierau, FK. & Sann, H. Mustard oil-induced cutaneous inflammation in the pig. Agents and Actions 39, 31–34 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01975711
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01975711