UV radiation-induced skin tumors in Monodelphis domestica.

Chronic exposure of the skin of the South American opossum (Monodelphis domestica) to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) from an FS-40 sunlamp (280-400 nm) 3 times per week for a total of 200 exposures resulted in the appearance of actinic keratoses, fibrosarcomas, squamous cell carcinomas and keratoacanthomas. At the higher doses of UVR used in this study, moderate to severe hyperplasia was also observed. The susceptibility of this animal to the induction of skin tumors by UVR in conjunction with the capacity to enzymatically photoreactive pyrimidine dimers in cutaneous DNA identifies this animal as a useful model in determining the role of pyrimidine dimers in skin tumor induction by UVR.