Early skin responses of hibernating and nonhibernating ground squirrels to topical applications of DMBA.

Skin patches on hibernating and nonhibernating ground squirrels were treated with multiple topical applications of the carcinogen 7,12-dimethylbenza(a)anthracene. Nonhibernators showed blistering, peeling, drying, hair loss, increased vascularization and hyperpigmentation in proportion to DMBA concentration. The latter was apparently due to a) an increased number of dermal and epidermal melanocytes and b) the appearance of melanocytes with large coarse cytoplasmic granules. Notably, hibernators remained free of gross skin changes and were histologically similar to untreated controls.