Unique histological features of the tail skin of cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus) related to caudal autotomy

Caudal autotomy in rodents is an evolutionarily acquired phenomenon enabling escape from predators, by discarding the tail skin after traumatic injuries. The histological mechanisms underlying caudal autotomy seem to differ among species. Cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus), which are important laboratory rodents for human infectious diseases, possess a fragile tail. In this study, we compared the tail histology of cotton rats with that of laboratory rats (Rattus norvegicus), which have no fragility on their tail, to elucidate the process of rodent caudal autotomy. First, the cotton rats developed a false autotomy characterized by loss of the tail sheath with the caudal vertebrae remaining without tail regeneration. Second, we found the fracture plane was continuous from the interscale of the tail epidermis to the dermis, which was lined with an alignment of E-cadherin(+) cells. Third, we found an obvious cleavage plane between the dermis and subjacent tissues of the cotton-rat tail, where the subcutis was composed of looser, finer, and fragmented collagen fibers compared with those of the rat. Additionally, the cotton-rat tail was easily torn, with minimum bleeding. The median coccygeal artery of the cotton rat had a thick smooth muscle layer, and its lumen was filled with the peeled intima with fibrin coagulation, which might be associated with reduced bleeding following caudal autotomy. Taken together, we reveal the unique histological features of the tail relating to the caudal autotomy process in the cotton rat, and provide novel insights to help clarify the rodent caudal autotomy mechanism.