Committed differentiation of hair follicle bulge cells into sebocytes: an in vitro study.
BACKGROUND
Several studies have shown that hair follicle bugle cells can differentiate into hair follicles and contribute to the formation of the epidermis and sebaceous gland. Although many lines of evidence have suggested that the renewal and maintenance of the sebaceous gland depends on hair follicle bulge cells, direct evidence supporting the in vitro differentiation of follicle bulge cells into sebaceous gland cells has not been found.


METHODS
Rat vibrissa follicle bulge cells were isolated, cultured, and transfected with green fluorescent protein (GFPC1) plasmids carrying the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma2 (PPARgamma2 ) gene. The transfected cells were cultured in modified medium, and the morphologic changes of the cells were observed. Moreover, the expression of epithelial membrane antigens (EMAs) by the cells was detected by immunocytochemistry, and adipogenesis of the cells was evaluated.


RESULTS
After induction culture, the cell body enlarged gradually and contained abundant cytoplasm; lipid droplets appeared in the cytoplasm of some cells, and the cells resembled sebocytes of the sebaceous gland. The cells were positive on oil red O and EMA staining. The expression of PPARgamma2 mRNA and protein was significantly upregulated in PPARgamma2-transfected cells. The rate of oil red O-stained and EMA-positive cells was higher in PPARgamma2-transfected cells after induction than in bulge-PPARgamma2 cells and non-transfected bulge cells.


CONCLUSIONS
Rat vibrissa hair follicle bulge cells may differentiate into sebocytes in vitro, and the PPARgamma2 gene plays a crucial role.
Fu
Gang
G
Department of Cell Biology, College of Basic Medicine, Department of Dermatology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Gao
Qiang-Guo
QG
Lian
Xiao-Hua
XH
Yu
Jin
J
Xiang
Ming-Ming
MM
Yang
Tian
T
D000818:Animals; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018859:Hair Follicle / Q000166:cytology* / Q000473:pathology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D047495:PPAR gamma / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012627:Sebaceous Glands / Q000166:cytology* / Q000473:pathology; D014162:Transfection / Q000379:methods; D015854:Up-Regulation
D047495:PPAR gamma; D012333:RNA, Messenger