title: Serum-free culture of wool follicles: effects of nutrients, growth factors and hormones.
abstract: A serum-free culture system allowed the continued growth of fibre from follicles for 8-10 days. Fibre growth was responsive to changes in the level of calcium, glucose and amino acids in the culture medium, and was stimulated by the inclusion of insulin (10 micrograms/mL) in the medium. Culture of follicles in the presence of conditioned media from dermal papilla cells or of mitomycin-treated dermal papilla cells had no effect on fibre growth. Neither thyroid hormones nor hydrocortisone altered fibre growth. The progressive decline in fibre growth during follicle culture was accompanied by morphological changes in the follicle bulb. Oxidative damage did not appear to be the cause of these changes as there was no increase in fibre growth rate or longevity when antioxidants were used. This model provides a useful system to study the direct effects of various hormonal, nutritional and growth factors of fibre growth and follicle metabolism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, University of Adelaide Waite Campus, South Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Bates
authors.forename: P I
authors.initials: PI
authors.lastname: Hynd
authors.forename: N M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Penn
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Nancarrow
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000494:pharmacology; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D046508:Culture Techniques; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018859:Hair Follicle / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects; D006728:Hormones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000494:pharmacology; D018977:Micronutrients / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000502:physiology; D012756:Sheep; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism; D013963:Thyroid Hormones / Q000494:pharmacology; D014935:Wool / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*
chemical_list: D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D006133:Growth Substances; D006728:Hormones; D018977:Micronutrients; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D013963:Thyroid Hormones; D002118:Calcium; D006854:Hydrocortisone