P17 CULTURED ANTLER SKIN OFFERS A NOVEL MODEL FOR INVESTIGATING FOLLICULAR DEVELOPMENT (NEOGENESIS) IN VITRO

Croft NA. & Randall VA., Dept. Biomedical Sciences, Bradford University, Bradford, BD7 1DP, UK

The skin (velvet) covering growing deer antlers is an unique example of de novo development of new skin and hair follicles i.e. “neogenesis” (a process directly equivalent to embryonic skin development) occurring in an adult.  Red deer (Cervus elaphus) velvet is being investigated as a novel model in which to study follicular embryogenesis.  Immunohistological investigations have shown similar characteristics to other mammalian systems with the important feature of several stages of development present in the same section due to the antler’s very rapid growth.  Since an in vitro system would be useful for examining the roles of specific factors in embryogenesis, the culture of antler velvet has been investigated.

Skin biopsies (4mm) from antler tips were cultured in DMEM with or without 10% foetal bovine serum supported in absorbable gelatine sponge (Gelofoam^â).  Samples were removed every 2 days up to day 8 and frozen at –80°C.  Frozen sections (7mm) were stained with the histological stain SACPIC and antibodies to cytokeratin 6, the mesenchymal marker, vimentin, and the cell proliferation marker, Ki67.

Samples were successfully cultured until at least day 6, though some samples showed dehydration damage to the epidermis which will require methodological modifications.  In both culture conditions samples retained good morphology, with Ki67 staining as normal at day 2 and still present at day 6.

Since antler velvet can be cultured successfully, it offers a potentially useful, novel model system to investigate molecules involved in intercellular signalling in developing hair follicles without the ethical difficulties often associated with such research.