Are Hair Cortisol Levels Dependent on Hair Growth Rate? A Pilot Study in Rhesus Macaques

May 2023 in “ General and comparative endocrinology ”

Amanda M. Dettmer, Melinda A. Novak, Jerrold S. Meyer

hair cortisol concentrations HCCs hair growth rate cortisol-mediated inhibition stress conditions cortisol

Studysummary This study found that hair cortisol concentrations in rhesus macaques were not significantly correlated with hair growth rate, suggesting that cortisol-mediated inhibition of hair growth does not explain higher cortisol levels within the non-stress range.

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The study "Are hair cortisol levels dependent on hair growth rate? A pilot study in rhesus macaques" investigated the relationship between hair cortisol concentrations (HCCs) and hair growth rate in both non-stressed and stressed rhesus macaques. The study found that HCCs were not significantly correlated with hair growth rate over a 3-month period in either adult or infant rhesus macaques. This suggests that higher HCCs within the non-stress range do not result from cortisol-mediated inhibition of hair growth. However, the study concludes that it remains unknown whether hair HCCs are dependent on altered hair growth rates under stress conditions. The study involved a total of 36 macaques (18 adults and 18 infants).

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