title: Blood supply--susceptible formation of melanin pigment in hair bulb melanocytes of mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Allogeneic skin grafts onto C57BL/6 mice are rejected, and the rejected skin is replaced by surrounding skin with black hair. In contrast, syngeneic skin grafts are tolerated, and gray hair grows on the grafts.
  
  
  METHODS
  To explore the mechanism of gray hair growing on the tolerated skin grafts, we prepared full-thickness skin (2-cm square) autografts, 2 (2 cm + 2 cm) horizontal or vertical parallel incisions, and U-shaped (2 cm × 2 cm × 2 cm) flaps with or without pedicle vessels. The grafts, incisions, and flaps were fixed by suturing with string and protected by a transparent bandage. On day 14 after the operation, the bandages were removed to observe the color of the hair growing on the skin.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Skin autografts from wild-type or hepatocyte growth factor-transgenic (Tg) C57BL/6 mice survived with gray hair, whereas those from steel factor (Kitl)-Tg C57BL/6 mice survived with black hair. In addition, U-shaped flaps lacking both of the 2 main feeding vessels of wild-type mice had gray hair at the tip of the flaps. Light microscopy after staining with hematoxylin and eosin or dihydroxyphenylalanine showed that the formation of melanin pigment in the follicles, but not in the interadnexal skin, was susceptible to the blood supply.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Melanin pigment formation in the hair bulb melanocytes appeared to be susceptible to the blood supply, and melanocytosis was promoted in the follicles and in the epidermis of Kitl-Tg C57BL/6 mice.
authors: Department of Physiology, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Japan; Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Japan; Department of Pathology, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Japan; and Division of Immunology, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, School of Life Science, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago, Japan.
authors: Shogo
authors: S
authors: Maeda
authors: Department of Physiology, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Japan; Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Japan; Department of Pathology, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Japan; and Division of Immunology, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, School of Life Science, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago, Japan.
authors: Koichi
authors: K
authors: Ueda
authors: Department of Physiology, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Japan; Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Japan; Department of Pathology, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Japan; and Division of Immunology, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, School of Life Science, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago, Japan.
authors: Hidenori
authors: H
authors: Yamana
authors: Department of Physiology, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Japan; Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Japan; Department of Pathology, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Japan; and Division of Immunology, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, School of Life Science, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago, Japan.
authors: Junko
authors: J
authors: Tashiro-Yamaji
authors: Department of Physiology, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Japan; Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Japan; Department of Pathology, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Japan; and Division of Immunology, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, School of Life Science, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago, Japan.
authors: Minenori
authors: M
authors: Ibata
authors: Department of Physiology, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Japan; Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Japan; Department of Pathology, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Japan; and Division of Immunology, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, School of Life Science, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago, Japan.
authors: Ayako
authors: A
authors: Mikura
authors: Department of Physiology, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Japan; Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Japan; Department of Pathology, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Japan; and Division of Immunology, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, School of Life Science, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago, Japan.
authors: Masashi
authors: M
authors: Okada
authors: Department of Physiology, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Japan; Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Japan; Department of Pathology, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Japan; and Division of Immunology, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, School of Life Science, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago, Japan.
authors: Emi
authors: E
authors: Yasuda
authors: Department of Physiology, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Japan; Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Japan; Department of Pathology, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Japan; and Division of Immunology, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, School of Life Science, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago, Japan.
authors: Yuro
authors: Y
authors: Shibayama
authors: Department of Physiology, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Japan; Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Japan; Department of Pathology, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Japan; and Division of Immunology, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, School of Life Science, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago, Japan.
authors: Miya
authors: M
authors: Yoshino
authors: Department of Physiology, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Japan; Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Japan; Department of Pathology, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Japan; and Division of Immunology, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, School of Life Science, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago, Japan.
authors: Takahiro
authors: T
authors: Kubota
authors: Department of Physiology, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Japan; Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Japan; Department of Pathology, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Japan; and Division of Immunology, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, School of Life Science, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago, Japan.
authors: Ryotaro
authors: R
authors: Yoshida