Vet Pathol Email Content Delivery
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
This Article
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Kusewitt, D. F.
Right arrow Articles by Ley, R. D.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Kusewitt, D. F.
Right arrow Articles by Ley, R. D.

Veterinary Pathology, Vol 28, Issue 1 55-65, Copyright © 1991 by American College of Veterinary Pathologists

ARTICLES

Ultraviolet radiation-induced skin tumors in a South American opossum (Monodelphis domestica)

D. F. Kusewitt, L. A. Applegate and R. D. Ley
Lovelace Medical Foundation, Biomedical Research Division, Albuquerque, NM.

A total of 19 male and 21 female South American opossums (Monodelphis domestica) were exposed to 250 J/m2 ultraviolet radiation from FS-40 sunlamps (280-400 nm) three times weekly for 70 weeks. The backs of the opossums were shaved as necessary to remove hair. In order to prevent photoreactivation of ultraviolet radiation-induced pyrimidine dimers by the light-dependent photolyase enzyme of the opossum, ultraviolet radiation-exposed opossums were housed under red lights (600-800 nm). The opossum photolyase requires light in the 320-450 nm range for its activity. Twenty-nine control opossums (14 males and 15 females) were irradiated by fluorescent lights with emission spectra primarily in the visible light range (320-700 nm); these control opossums were also housed under red lights, and their backs were also shaved to remove hair. No skin tumors were observed in control opossums, while ultraviolet radiation-exposed opossums developed a variety of hyperplastic and neoplastic skin lesions on the backs and on a single ear. Hyperplastic lesions included foci of epithelial hyperplasia, dermal fibroplasia, and focal proliferation of dermal melanocytes. A total of 20 ultraviolet radiation-exposed opossums (50%) developed skin tumors, and 13 opossums (32.5%) had more than a single tumor. Epithelial tumors included 25 papillomas, four keratoacanthomas, seven carcinomas in situ, three microinvasive squamous cell carcinomas, two invasive squamous cell carcinomas, and a single basal cell tumor. Ten dermal spindle cell tumors also occurred; most of these appeared to be fibrosarcomas. Two benign melanomas and one malignant melanoma were observed.


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 CarcinogenesisHome page
D. F. Kusewitt, T. E. Sherburn, K. B. Miska, G. B. Tafoya, J. M. Gale, and R. D. Miller
The p53 tumor suppressor gene of the marsupial Monodelphis domestica: cloning of exons 4–11 and mutations in exons 5–8 in ultraviolet radiation-induced corneal sarcomas
Carcinogenesis, June 1, 1999; 20(6): 963 - 968.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 NEJMHome page
B. A. Gilchrest, M. S. Eller, A. C. Geller, and M. Yaar
The Pathogenesis of Melanoma Induced by Ultraviolet Radiation
N. Engl. J. Med., April 29, 1999; 340(17): 1341 - 1348.
[Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 1991 by the American College of Veterinary Pathologists.