What Color Is the Skin of a Mouse?
November 2011
in “Veterinary Pathology”
TLDR Mouse skin color ranges from pink to black, depending on their hair growth cycle.
The document examined the skin color of adult female mice from various inbred strains with different coat colors to understand the relationship between hair color, hair growth cycle, and skin pigmentation. The mice, which included strains like BALB/cJ, C3H/HeJ, C57BL/6J, B6.Cg-Tyr-J/J, and DBA/1J, were euthanized, shaved, and their skin was analyzed. The findings revealed that mouse skin color can vary from pink to grey or black, heavily influenced by the stage of the hair cycle, with the most pigmentation during mid- to late anagen phase and minimal to none during telogen phase. This study highlighted the necessity of comprehending the normal hair cycle and skin anatomy in mice for accurate interpretation of skin and hair biology research, which is vital for studies on hair growth and alopecia.
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