Anatomic site and interanimal variability in morphologic characteristics of bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) skin likely to affect dermal absorption studies
Colbert, A.; Stoskopf, M.; Brownie, C.; Scott, G.I.; Levine, J.
American Journal of Veterinary Research 59(11): 1398-1403
1998
ISSN/ISBN: 0002-9645 PMID: 9829396 Document Number: 486205
Biopsy skin specimens collected from 10 male dolphins at 3 anatomic sites and from 30 dolphins at 1 site were evaluated by light microscopy. Stratum externum thickness, minimum depth to the vasculature and maximum epidermal depth were measured at 4 locations on 4 sequential sections. Comparisons of replicate measurements for 3 skin characteristics were made within and among anatomic sites, between dolphins of the same sex and approximate age, and across males and females of various ages. The stratum externum in male dolphins was thicker. Differences attributable to age and anatomic site were not significant. Variation attributable to differences in stratum externum thickness between dolphins was significant. Differences among body sites within the same dolphin were significant but were not consistent from dolphin to dolphin. Mean stratum externum thickness was not different between males of the 2 cohorts, but mean maximum epidermal depth and mean minimum depth to the vasculature were different. Variances within the 2 male cohorts were not significantly different. It is concluded that studies affected by stratum externum thickness should eliminate the effect attributable to sex difference by using dolphins of the same sex or grouping analytical data by sex. Precision could be improved without increasing the total number of dolphins by collecting several samples from single dolphin.