The biomechanical properties of canine skin measured in situ by uniaxial extension

Introduction

A uniaxial extension system was setup to analyze the mechanical properties of dog skin.

Material and methods

Pads were glued onto dog skin with constant reproducible geometrical parameters and the extension force was measured as a function of the extension values. Forty-one sites (82 cycling tests) were investigated in situ on 11 canine cadavers, half of them after surgically isolating the test area from the surrounding skin. Series of loading-unloading cycles of up to 5 N or 10 N or both loads were performed on each site. The elastic properties and the dissipative effects were characterized respectively by evaluating the secant Rigidity at maximum loads and the Fraction of dissipated energy.

Results

A hysteresis phenomenon, implying the need for preconditioning to attain equilibrium cycles, was apparent during mechanical characterization. Polynomial expressions were used to relate the measured Rigidities and the Fractions of dissipated energy with or without sample isolation. The latter were less affected by isolation. The ratios between the Rigidities at 5 N to those at 10 N displayed non-linearity in the investigated extension range in contrary to the Fractions of dissipated energy.

Discussion/conclusion

The parameters confirming the dissipative non-linear elastic behavior of dog skin were identified and the correlation between Rigidity and Fraction of dissipated energy on isolated and non-isolated skin samples was quantitatively determined. This extension setup can now be used as a “true in vivo” mapping tool to determine the mechanical characteristics of the skin during healing processes or during the study of Human skin disease with the dog as an animal model.     

植物细胞壁伸展测定仪在蚕豆扩张蛋白特性研究中的应用

扩张蛋白(expansin)在细胞扩张和果实成熟中起着极为重要的作用.植物细胞壁伸展测定仪是研究扩张蛋白必不可少的仪器.为此以电涡流传感器为核心部件装配了一种具有结构简单、操作方便和测量准确等优点的新型测定仪,并利用该仪器研究了蚕豆(Vicia faba)扩张蛋白的特性.结果表明蚕豆根、茎、上胚轴和成熟叶片中均存在扩张蛋白,而且叶片和幼根的扩张蛋白活性最强;免疫印迹证实在蚕豆根、茎、上胚轴和成熟叶片中确实存在扩张蛋白.以上结果说明本仪器灵敏且可靠,用此仪器首次发现在成熟叶片中存在扩张蛋白.