Cyclical Changes in Rat Vibrissa Follicles Maintained In Vitro

December 2000 in “ The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology ”

Michael P. Philpott, Terence Kealey

hair growth vibrissa follicles in vitro pro-anagen anagen hair cycle control hair follicle growth hair follicle development hair growth whisker follicles lab culture early growth phase growth phase hair cycle regulation hair growth hair development

Studysummary This study observed that rat vibrissa hair follicles cultured in vitro showed morphological changes suggesting cyclical activity but remained blocked in the pro-anagen stage.

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The study investigated the cyclical nature of hair growth in rat vibrissa follicles maintained in vitro, using follicles from 12-day-old rats cultured for up to 23 days. It found that 44% of free-floating and 62% of gelfoam-supported follicles retained cyclical activity, showing changes characteristic of pro-anagen. However, all follicles appeared blocked in the pro-anagen stage, and some showed abnormal growth or damage. The findings suggested that rat vibrissa follicles are a good in vitro model for studying hair cycle control, highlighting the transition from pro-anagen to anagen as a key regulatory step in hair follicle growth and development.

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