Enhancement of In Vitro Hair Shaft Elongation in Follicles Stored in Buffers That Prevent Follicle Cell Apoptosis
January 2004
in “
Dermatologic Surgery
”
hair shaft elongation hair follicle micrografts HEPES-buffered DMEM PBS aminoguanidine 14,15-epoxy-eicosatrienoic acid apoptotic cell death serum-induced apoptotic cell death storage buffers ACD inhibitors pH changes free radical generation key enzymes hair restoration surgery follicle cell viability graft survival HSE AMG 14,15-EET ACD
TLDR Storing hair follicles in special buffers with added protective substances can increase hair growth and reduce cell death.
In 2004, a study found that hair follicle micrografts stored in HEPES-buffered DMEM exhibited greater in vitro hair shaft elongation (HSE) than those stored in PBS (28.4% vs. 2.3%). The addition of aminoguanidine (AMG) or 14,15-epoxy-eicosatrienoic acid (14,15-EET) to the DMEM further increased HSE (33.9% and 32.8%, respectively). Micrografts in PBS experienced higher apoptotic cell death (ACD), while AMG significantly reduced serum-induced ACD. The study suggested that using storage buffers with ACD inhibitors could improve the viability and outcome of hair micrograft transplantation by reducing ACD and maintaining physiological metabolic pathways. The results indicated that pH changes and free radical generation are key factors in ACD of stored micrografts, and that AMG and 14,15-EET can reduce ACD by inhibiting key enzymes. These findings may have clinical implications for hair restoration surgery, although clinical trials are necessary to confirm the effects on follicle cell viability and graft survival.
