This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Copyright Permission Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Vegesna, V. Articles by Koeffler, H. P. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Vegesna, V. Articles by Koeffler, H. P. Pubmed/NCBI databases Compound via MeSH Substance via MeSH Hazardous Substances DB 1,25-DIHYDROXYCHOLECALCIFEROL CHOLECALCIFEROL

Vitamin D₃ Analogs Stimulate Hair Growth in Nude Mice

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center/University of California Los Angeles School of Medicine (V.V., J.O., J.S., N.L., T.S., T.I., H.P.K.), Los Angeles, California 90048; Hoffman-LaRoche Inc. (M.U.), Nutley, New Jersey 07110; Leo Pharmaceuticals (L.B.), DK-2750 Ballerup, Denmark

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: James O’Kelly, Ph.D., Division of Hematology/Oncology, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, University of California Los Angeles School of Medicine, 8700 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, California 90048. E-mail: okellyj{at}cshs.org.

The active form of vitamin D₃ can regulate epidermal keratinization by inducing terminal differentiation; and mice lacking the vitamin D receptor display defects leading to postnatal alopecia. These observations implicate the vitamin D₃ pathway in regulation of hair growth. We tested the ability of 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D₃ and its synthetic analogs to stimulate hair growth in biege/nude/xid (BNX) nu/nu (nude) mice exhibiting congenital alopecia. Nude mice were treated with different vitamin D₃ analogs at doses that we had previously found to be the highest dose without inducing toxicity (hypercalcemia). The mice were monitored for hair growth and were scored according to a defined scale. Skin samples were taken for histological observation of hair follicles and for extraction of RNA and protein. Vitamin D₃ analogs dramatically stimulated the hair growth of nude mice, although parental 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D₃ had no effect. Hair growth occurred in a cyclical pattern, accompanied by formation of normal hair follicles and increased expression of certain keratins (Ha7, Ha8, and Hb3). Vitamin D₃ analogs seem to act on keratinocytes to initiate hair follicle cycling and stimulate hair growth in mice that otherwise do not grow hair.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				Z. Xie, S. Chang, Y. Oda, and D. D. Bikle Hairless Suppresses Vitamin D Receptor Transactivation in Human Keratinocytes Endocrinology, January 1, 2006; 147(1): 314 - 323. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Chen, X.-P. Ni, M. H. Humphreys, and D. G. Gardner 1,25 Dihydroxyvitamin D Amplifies Type A Natriuretic Peptide Receptor Expression and Activity in Target Cells J. Am. Soc. Nephrol., February 1, 2005; 16(2): 329 - 339. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. K. Panda, D. Miao, I. Bolivar, J. Li, R. Huo, G. N. Hendy, and D. Goltzman Inactivation of the 25-Hydroxyvitamin D 1{alpha}-Hydroxylase and Vitamin D Receptor Demonstrates Independent and Interdependent Effects of Calcium and Vitamin D on Skeletal and Mineral Homeostasis J. Biol. Chem., April 16, 2004; 279(16): 16754 - 16766. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]