Involvement of the central hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in hair growth and melanogenesis among different mouse strains

Abstract

Stress has been demonstrated to play an important role in hair follicle function and the pathogenesis of some hair disorders. The central hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is activated by stress stimuli, synthesizes and releases various components and eventually induces the pathogenesis and recurrence of peripheral diseases. Our aim is to compare the different responses under exposure of stress in hair follicle function among different mouse strains, and to detect the involvement of the central HPA axis after stress in hair follicle growth and melanogenesis. In this study, we exposed different mouse strains (C57BL/6, CBA/J, C3H/HeN, BALB/c and ICR) to a 21-day chronic restraint stress protocol and selected C57BL/6, CBA/J and BALB/c mice for further study because of their significant behavioral alterations. Then, we evaluated and compared the different responses and sensitivity to chronic restraint stress in hair follicle function and central HPA axis among the selected strains. The results showed that expression of POMC, CRF and GR mRNA and protein and serum levels of corticosterone were inhibited in response to stress. These findings suggested that chronic restraint stress may inhibit hair follicle growth and melanogenesis via regulating the key elements of the central HPA axis. In addition, the results revealed different mouse strains exhibit different responses in the central HPA axis and hair follicle after stress exposure. C57BL/6 might be the most sensitive strain among the three strains tested as well as an appropriate strain to study possible pathophysiological mechanisms by which the nervous system influences skin function and screen dermatological drugs suitable for psychotherapy. We believe the current study will provide some useful information for researchers who are interested in the bidirectional communication between the nervous and skin systems and the management of stress-induced cutaneous diseases.

Hormonal regulation in male androgenetic alopecia—Sex hormones and beyond: Evidence from recent genetic studies

“…[ 71 ] However, recent data from mice have provided the first functional evidence for its involvement in HF growth and melanogenesis. [ 80 ] Again, GWAS findings provide evidence that this endocrine signalling pathway is involved in AGA. The lead variant at 17q21.31 (rs117365970, P = 3.2 × 10 −177 , β = −0.10, SE = 0.004) is located within the fourth intron of the gene that encodes the G protein‐coupled receptor CRHR1 (corticotropin‐releasing hormone receptor 1), which binds neuropeptides of the CRH family.…”

5-Hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) Positively Regulates Pigmentation via Inducing Melanoblast Specification and Melanin Synthesis in Zebrafish Embryos

“…The function of those neurotransmitters in the physiological and pathological state of the skin remains poorly understood. Moreover, 5-HT is a phylogenetically ancient signaling molecule and neurotransmitter, which actions are mediated through 5-HT receptors [ 26 , 27 ]. It has been reported that 5-HT receptors are widely detected on mammalian dermal fibroblasts and melanocytes.…”

Optimization of Monobenzone-Induced Vitiligo Mouse Model by the Addition of Chronic Stress

“…The open-field test (OFT), forced swimming test (FST), and tail suspension test (TST) were carried out as previously described [ 31 , 49 ]. The OFT was used to observe the behavioral changes in each group of mice and to test the spontaneous activity of the mice.…”

“…Immunofluorescence analysis was conducted as described previously [29,31]. The slides of skin were stained with primary antibodies against CD8 (Abcam, Cambridge, UK, ab217344) and left overnight at 4 • C. After incubation with the secondary antibody, cell nuclei were counterstained with DAPI (Solarbio, Beijing, China).…”

“…Chronic unpredictable mild stimulation (CUMS) and chronic restraint stress are commonly used methods for modeling chronic mental stress, but CUMS is more consistent with the chronic stress state experienced by humans daily. In a previous study, we found that mental stress induces the release of neuropeptides [ 28 , 29 , 30 ], affects the central hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis [ 31 ], and results in depigmentation or hair growth inhibition. Therefore, we selected the MBEH and CUMS models to construct a multifactor-induced depigmentation mouse model.…”