Integrated Transcriptomics and Metabolomics Analyses of Stress-Induced Murine Hair Follicle Growth Inhibition

This study investigated the effects of chronic restraint stress (CRS) on hair follicle growth in mice, aiming to understand the mechanisms behind stress-induced hair loss. The researchers used an integrated approach combining metabolomics and transcriptomics analyses. They found significant alterations in primary and secondary metabolic pathways, including carbohydrate, amino acid, and lipid metabolism in the skin tissue of stressed mice. Gene expression profiles also showed significant changes in genes regulating metabolic processes such as arachidonic acid, glutathione, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, nicotinate and nicotinamide, purine, retinol, and cholesterol metabolism. Notably, genes like Hk-1, which are associated with metabolism, were significantly changed in CRS-induced hair growth inhibition. The study provides new insights into how CRS affects hair growth by altering metabolic pathways and gene expression.