An efficient method for eccrine gland isolation from human scalp

Epidermal/Dermal Separation Techniques and Analysis of Cell Populations in Human Skin Sheets

Human skin consists of three compartments, each endowed with a particular structure and the presence of several immune and nonimmune cells that together comprise a protective shield and orchestrate multiple processes in the skin. Appropriate processing of human skin samples acquired from healthy volunteers or patients is essential for successful analysis in basic, translational, and clinical research to obtain accurate and reliable results, despite differences between individuals. From the wide range of available assays and methods, it is necessary to select the suitable method for separation of skin compartments, which will provide preservation or high viability of skin cells or whole structures that will be analyzed or further processed. In this paper, we review and discuss skin separation methods and compare their features such as processing time, cell viability, location of the basement membrane after detachment of the epidermis from the dermis, and their application. Furthermore, we visualize different cell populations and structures in epidermal and dermal sheets using confocal microscopy. It is aimed to provide an overview of the optimal processing of human skin samples and their possible application.

Method for Human Eccrine Sweat Gland Isolation from the Scalp by Means of the Micropunch Technique and Vital Dyes

The isolation of eccrine sweat glands from human skin has always been a difficult task. The human scalp contains thousands of eccrine glands. Recently, the close anatomic relationship of the eccrine gland with the scalp hair follicle has been described. Taking advantage of this anatomic relationship as well as of the availability of follicular units (FUs) obtained in hair transplant procedures, we describe here a simple and efficient method to isolate eccrine sweat glands from the human scalp. This method is identical to the micropunch hair graft harvesting method known as follicular unit excision (FUE), used in modern hair transplantation. Once the FU has been extracted, it needs to be stained with methylene blue or neutral red in order to make the sweat gland visible for stereoscopic microdissection. Only the secretory (coiled) portion of the sweat gland can be obtained with this method. The efficiency of this isolation method should encourage further research into human eccrine sweat glands and opens possibilities for new translational applications.