Dithiothreitol separation of newborn rodent dermis and epidermis.

Incubation of newborn mouse skin in media containing 0.01 M dithiothreitol at 4 degrees C for 2 hr reduces dermal-epidermal cohesion, and the 2 layers may be separated readily. Unlike other methods of separation, this technique does not require heating, nonphysiologic pH or ionic strength, or addition of proteolytic enzymes. The split occurs beneath the basal lamina. The separated epidermal sheet retains the periodic acid Schiff-positive "basement membrane," and the basal cells can incorporate 3H-thymidine.