TLDR Rat vibrissa follicles are useful for studying hair growth cycles, especially the transition from pro-anagen to anagen.
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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