Endocrine Abstracts

An increase in cutaneous pigmentation during pregnancy is common, but usually regresses following parturition. Epidemiological studies also suggest that females may have a sex survival advantage in cases of malignant melanoma. However, estrogen action in melanoma remains contradictory. We have recently demonstrated that both epidermal and hair follicle melanocytes express ERα and ERβ however, estrogen action in human pigment cell biology remains poorly characterised....

Oestrogens have important modulatory effects on the skin and the hair follicle. Although they inhibit hair growth in animal models, their effect on human hair growth is less clear. Therefore, we have investigated the effect of oestrogenic compounds on human hair growth in vitro using a whole follicle assay system.Individual microdissected hair follicles from female temporal/occipital scalp (n=6, age range 49–69 mean age 54.67yrs) were incuba...

A number of tissues have been identified as non-classical targets of oestrogen action. Oestrogen can significantly influence the hair cycle and the human hair follicle provides an accessible tissue to investigate mesenchymal:epithelial interactions in vitro. Recently, oestrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) and beta (ERbeta) have been identified in human hair follicle cells. Although human hair follicles vary significantly with body site, non-balding scalp follicles have not been r...

The secondary sexual characteristics such as a neck mane and antlers seen in the male red deer are unusual in that they are produced on an annual basis and are linked to the breeding season. This cycle is highly controlled and the development of these characteristics coincides with changes in plasma levels of testosterone and IGF-1. We have previously shown that the expression of the androgen receptor in the hair follicle cells of the neck mane are only present during the bree...

Oestrogens can prevent or delay the age-related deterioration of the skin. Post-menopausal women have a reduced rate of wound healing, which can be reversed by oestrogen therapy. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects remain poorly understood. To understand more fully the role of oestrogen in the cutaneous wound healing process we have measured migration, proliferation and the secretion of mitogenic factors by cultured dermal fibroblasts in response to17β-oestra...

The role of oestrogens on the regulation of human hair growth is poorly understood. Using whole human scalp hair follicle organ culture, we have recently demonstrated, that human hair growth is inhibited by 17beta-oestradiol, but not by the biologically inactive isomer 17alpha-oestradiol. Using immunohistochemistry, we have also demonstrated the presence of both ERalpha and ERbeta in the pilosebaceous unit and the dermal papilla, a mesenchymal structure that controls the diffe...