Manganese Ethylene Bis(Maneb)-Induced Degeneration of Hair Follicle Epithelia in the Dorsal Skin of WBN/ILA-Ht Rats

The study examined the impact of manganese ethylene bis (Maneb) on the dorsal skin of WBN/ILA-Ht rats, a strain with hypotrichosis. Five 7-week-old male rats were exposed to 0.5% and 30% Maneb solutions for 7 days. Initially, there was slight inflammatory cell infiltration, but 2 weeks post-treatment, significant degeneration of the hair follicle epithelial root sheath was observed, marked by apoptosis indicators such as pyknosis and karyorrhexis. This degeneration was confirmed by TUNEL staining. The study concluded that Maneb induced delayed degeneration in the hair follicle epithelial root sheath through apoptosis, a novel finding for skin effects.