MATERIALS AND METHODSPrimary Cell Culture The skin was obtained after face lift surgery from six patients from 20 to 60 years of age, with the informed consent from "The Clinic of Active Lon gevity Institute of Beauty in Arbat." The samples were transported in DMEM medium (PanEko), with addition of gentamicin (RUP "Belmedpreparaty") and glutamine (Gybco). Prior to cell isolation, skin samples were washed with Hank's solution (PanEko), with gentamicin. DP cells were isolated by a series of fermentation and centrifuging, following the technique developed by Wu et al. (2005) and modified by Chermnykh et al. (2010). The cells were cultured in AmnioMAX TM II medium (Gibco). In experiments involving cells pas sages 1-4, passage 12 of DP cells was used for compar isons of their hair inducing abilities.For keratinocytes isolation, the epidermal layer was separated from skin by fermentation in dispase (Gibco) overnight at +4°C. The epidermal sheet was disrupted by trypsinization for 15 minutes. Kerati nocytes suspension was inoculated in DMEM/F12 medium (PanEko) containing 4mM glutamine, 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) (HyClone), 10 ng/mL EGF (Sigma), 5 mg/mL insulin (Sigma), and 0.25 mg/mL isoproterenol (Sigma).
Viral Cell TransfectionLentiviral constructions, bearing red fluorescent protein TagRFP gene, were provided by the Eurogene company. Transfection was performed using cells of the first passage. Cells were transfected in serum free AmnioMAX TM II medium, with addition of poly brene (Sigma) with tenfold excess concentration of viral particles.
Mixed CulturesDP cells and keratinocytes were trypsinized by the standard method. To obtain attached culture, DP cells or fibroblasts were mixed with keratinocytes in 1 : 1 proportion, seeded in 48 well plate (Corning) at a concentration of 10 5 cells per well, and cultured for three days.To obtain mixed aggregates, DP cells and kerati nocytes were mixed in 1 : 1 proportion and cultured in a hanging drop at a concentration of 7 × 10 3 cells per aggregate. Cells were cultured for 3 to 14 days.To obtain coated aggregates, DP cell suspension was placed in a hanging drop at a concentration of 3.5 × 10 3 cells per aggregate. After three days in cul ture, aggregates were transferred to preliminary pre pared hanging drops containing 3.5 × 10 3 kerati nocytes and then additionally cultured for 3 to 14 days.
ImmunocytochemistryThe attached culture was fixed in 4% paraformal dehyde (PFA) (Riedel de Haen) for 15 min at room temperature (25 o C) and then washed with phosphate saline buffer (PBS) (Gibco). Primary antibodies against Ki67 (Abcam, ab16667) were diluted 1 : 50 in blocking solution consisting of PBS, with addition of 0.1% Triton X 100 (AppliChem), 0.1% Tween 20 (AppliChem), 0.05% bovine serum albumin (Sigma), and sodium azide (Sigma). Several samples were incu bated in blocking solution without antibodies for neg ative secondary antibody control. They were incu Abstract⎯Hair follicles (HF) are skin appendages that develop as a result of the epithelial mesenchymal interactions. T...