New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research abstracts
Skin biopsy technique results in inaccurate wool follicle density
measurements
C. E. MCCLOGHRY
CSIRO
Division of Animal Production
Pastoral Research laboratory
Private Mail Bag, Armidale
NSW 2350, Australia
G. H. BROWN
CSIRO
Biometrics Unit
P. O. Box 52, North Ryde
NSW 2113, Australia
G. C. UPHILL
CSIRO
Division of Animal Production
Pastoral Research laboratory
Private Mail Bag, Armidale
NSW 2350, Australia
Abstract A rapid method of excising skin biopsies, from skin
blebs formed by a subcutaneous injection of anaesthetic, was investigated to
determine the effect on wool follicle density measurements. Two biopsies were
taken from the midside of 28 sheep using a trephine, one directly over the skin
bleb and the second adjacent to it. Biopsy shrinkage as a result of fixation
and histological processing was measured. Total follicle densities were
determined and adjusted for biopsy shrinkage using a correction factor (area of
skin section/area of the trephine). Biopsies taken over blebs had a greater
sectional area (c. 9.3%) most likely because of distension of the skin
during the collection of the biopsy, in comparison with their paired biopsy.
This increase in the area of skin sampled, resulted in inaccurate correction
factors and consequently artificially increased (c. 7.3%) follicle density
measurements in biopsies sampled over blebs. The results of this study indicate
that inaccurate follicle density measurement will occur if skin blebs are
biopsied from above sites of subcutaneous anaesthetic injection.
Keywords wool follicle density measurement; skin biopsy;
anaesthesia; sheep
New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research, 1997, Vol. 40: 245-247
0028-8233/97/4002-0245 $7.00/0 (c) The Royal Society of New Zealand
1997
Short communication
PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (220K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)
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