Secretory Phospholipase A2-IIA Overexpressing Mice Exhibit Cyclic Alopecia Mediated Through Aberrant Hair Shaft Differentiation and Impaired Wound Healing Response

The study focused on the effects of secretory phospholipase A2-IIA (sPLA₂-IIA) overexpression in mice and its link to cyclic alopecia and wound healing. Overexpression of sPLA₂-IIA in homozygous mice led to a disrupted hair follicle cycle, resulting in cyclic alopecia due to the exhaustion of the hair follicle stem cell pool by postnatal day 28. The mice exhibited aberrant hair shaft differentiation, with downregulation of key genes (Sox21, Msx2, Foxn1, Gata3, Krt82, Krt71) and signaling modulators (BMP4, Lef1, Shh). Additionally, these mice had an impaired initial wound healing response. The study concluded that sPLA₂-IIA overexpression causes abnormal hair shaft differentiation and impaired wound healing, potentially due to deregulated signaling and depletion of hair follicle stem cells. The number of mice used in the study was not specified in the summary provided.