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The murine hair follicle is a melatonin target
Author(s) -
Kobayashi H.,
Dunlop T. W.,
Tychsen B.,
Conrad F.,
Ito T.,
Ito N.,
Aiba S.,
Carlberg C.,
Paus R.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
experimental dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.108
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1600-0625
pISSN - 0906-6705
DOI - 10.1111/j.0906-6705.2004.212bk.x
Subject(s) - hair follicle , melatonin , hair cycle , biology , medicine , endocrinology , keratinocyte , receptor , melatonin receptor , microbiology and biotechnology , melanocyte , pineal gland , cell culture , cancer research , melanoma , genetics
The pineal hormone, melatonin exerts many functional effects on mammalian skin (e.g. melanogenesis inhibition, melanocyte growth inhibition, and regulation of seasonal pelage hair growth). However, its cutaneous expression, regulation, and functional role are still obscure. The aim of this study was to check whether murine hair follicles are indeed direct, peripheral melatonin targets which express melatonin membrane receptors (MT1 and MT2) and orphan nuclear receptor α (RORα) which interact with melatonin. Immunohistochemistry revealed that murine hair follicle keratinocytes show both MT1‐like immunoreactivity (IR) and ROR‐like IR, both of which changed substantially in a hair cycle‐dependent manner. Both semiquantitive RT‐PCR for MT1 and MT2, and quantitive real‐time PCR for MT1, MT2, and ROR on murine skin cDNA revealed that all three genes are transcribed in normal mouse skin in hair cycle‐dependent manner. Functionally, melatonin significantly inhibited the constitutional level of epidermal and hair follicle keratinocyte apoptosis in short‐term mouse skin organ culture. In conclusion, we here provide evidence that normal murine hair follicles are prominent direct target for melatonin bioregulation which express MT1, MT2, and ROR, at least some of which are functionally active in situ . These receptors are regulated in a hair cycle‐dependent manner, suggesting a role of melatonin in hair cycle control.