Methionine Can Mitigate Hair Follicle Development Bias in Heat-Stressed Rex Rabbits

The study investigated the effects of methionine on hair follicle development in heat-stressed Rex rabbits. The experiment involved 5 groups with 30 replicates each, including a control group and various heat stress groups with different methionine concentrations (0.15%, 0.3%, and 0.45%). Results indicated that heat stress reduced hair follicle density, but methionine supplementation significantly increased it (p < .05). Methionine at 0.15%–0.3% concentrations alleviated the effects of heat stress by modulating gene expressions related to hair growth pathways, such as Wnt10b/β-catenin, Shh-Noggin, and others, while higher concentrations (0.45%) were less effective. The study concluded that methionine might promote hair follicle development through specific signaling pathways in heat-stressed rabbits.