Study: sex dependent differences in the response to estrogen

Substantial sex-dependent differences in the response of human scalp hair follicles to estrogen stimulation in vitro advocate gender-tailored management of female versus male pattern balding.

Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.

In this study, it was investigated how estrogens (17-beta-estradiol, E2) affect the estrogen receptor (ER) expression and gene regulation of male versus female human scalp hair follicles in vitro. Anagen VI follicles from frontotemporal scalp skin were microdissected and organ-cultured for up to 9 d in the presence of E2 (1-100 nm). Immunohistochemistry was performed for ERbeta-expression, known to be predominant in human scalp hair follicles, and for TGF-beta2-expression (as negative key hair growth modulator), and E2-responsive genes in organ-cultured human scalp hair follicles (48 h, 10 nM) were explored by cDNA microarray, using a commercial skin focus chip (Memorec, Cologne, Germany). The distribution pattern of ERbeta and TGF-beta2-immunoreactivity differed between male and female hair follicles after 48 h culture. Of 1300 genes tested, several genes were regulated sex-dependent differently. The study reveals substantial sex-dependent differences in the response of frontotemporal human scalp hair follicles to E2. Recognition and systematic dissection of the E2-dependent gene regulation will be crucial for the development of more effective, gender-tailored management strategies for female versus male pattern balding.

PMID: 16382674 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

» Substantial sex-dependent differences in the response of human scalp
» hair follicles to estrogen stimulation in vitro advocate gender-tailored
» management of female versus male pattern balding.

»
» Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf,
» University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
»
» In this study, it was investigated how estrogens (17-beta-estradiol, E2)
» affect the estrogen receptor (ER) expression and gene regulation of male
» versus female human scalp hair follicles in vitro. Anagen VI follicles
» from frontotemporal scalp skin were microdissected and organ-cultured for
» up to 9 d in the presence of E2 (1-100 nm). Immunohistochemistry was
» performed for ERbeta-expression, known to be predominant in human scalp
» hair follicles, and for TGF-beta2-expression (as negative key hair growth
» modulator), and E2-responsive genes in organ-cultured human scalp hair
» follicles (48 h, 10 nM) were explored by cDNA microarray, using a
» commercial skin focus chip (Memorec, Cologne, Germany). The distribution
» pattern of ERbeta and TGF-beta2-immunoreactivity differed between male and
» female hair follicles after 48 h culture. Of 1300 genes tested, several
» genes were regulated sex-dependent differently. The study reveals
» substantial sex-dependent differences in the response of frontotemporal
» human scalp hair follicles to E2. Recognition and systematic dissection of
» the E2-dependent gene regulation will be crucial for the development of
» more effective, gender-tailored management strategies for female versus
» male pattern balding.
»
» PMID: 16382674 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Estrogen modification is an important weapon.

» Substantial sex-dependent differences in the response of human scalp
» hair follicles to estrogen stimulation in vitro advocate gender-tailored
» management of female versus male pattern balding.

»
» Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf,
» University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
»
» In this study, it was investigated how estrogens (17-beta-estradiol, E2)
» affect the estrogen receptor (ER) expression and gene regulation of male
» versus female human scalp hair follicles in vitro. Anagen VI follicles
» from frontotemporal scalp skin were microdissected and organ-cultured for
» up to 9 d in the presence of E2 (1-100 nm). Immunohistochemistry was
» performed for ERbeta-expression, known to be predominant in human scalp
» hair follicles, and for TGF-beta2-expression (as negative key hair growth
» modulator), and E2-responsive genes in organ-cultured human scalp hair
» follicles (48 h, 10 nM) were explored by cDNA microarray, using a
» commercial skin focus chip (Memorec, Cologne, Germany). The distribution
» pattern of ERbeta and TGF-beta2-immunoreactivity differed between male and
» female hair follicles after 48 h culture. Of 1300 genes tested, several
» genes were regulated sex-dependent differently. The study reveals
» substantial sex-dependent differences in the response of frontotemporal
» human scalp hair follicles to E2. Recognition and systematic dissection of
» the E2-dependent gene regulation will be crucial for the development of
» more effective, gender-tailored management strategies for female versus
» male pattern balding.

A key finding of this study was that in men, the application of estrogen led to a dose-dependent REDUCTION in TGFb-2, which is known to be a key suppressor of hair follicle growth in androgenetic alopecia. That shows a clearly beneficial effect of estrogen in males.