Androgens trigger different growth responses in genetically identical human hair follicles in organ culture that reflect their epigenetic diversity in life.

Male sex hormones-androgens-regulate male physique development. Without androgen signaling, genetic males appear female. During puberty, increasing androgens harness the hair follicle's unique regenerative ability to replace many tiny vellus hairs with larger, darker terminal hairs ( e.

Bone morphogenetic protein signaling suppresses wound-induced skin repair by inhibiting keratinocyte proliferation and migration.

Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling plays a key role in the control of skin development and postnatal remodeling by regulating keratinocyte proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. To study the role of BMPs in wound-induced epidermal repair, we used transgenic mice overexpressing the BMP downstream component Smad1 under the control of a K14 promoter as an in vivo model, as well as ex vivo and in vitro assays. K14-caSmad1 (transgenic mice overexpressing a constitutively active form of Smad1 under K14 promoter) mice exhibited retarded wound healing associated with significant inhibition of proliferation and increased apoptosis in healing wound epithelium.

Effects of oestrogen agonists on human dermal fibroblasts in an in vitro wounding assay.

Oestrogen and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) improve wound healing, but circulating levels decline significantly with age. Recently, the selective oestrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) tamoxifen and raloxifene have been shown to improve age-associated impaired wound healing. Therefore, we have evaluated the effects of 17beta-oestradiol, ER alpha and ER beta agonists, tamoxifen, raloxifene and DHEA on human dermal fibroblasts using an in vitro wound assay.

Differing responses of human follicular and nonfollicular scalp cells in an in vitro wound healing assay: effects of estrogen on vascular endothelial growth factor secretion.

Improved wound healing of hairy skin may involve mesenchymal hair follicle cells with stem cell potential and enhancement by estrogen therapy. How estrogen affects follicular dermal papilla (DP) and dermal sheath (DS) cells in wound healing is unknown. Therefore, a comparison of estradiol action on DP, DS, and corresponding interfollicular dermal fibroblasts (DF) in a scratch-wound assay was performed using matching primary cultures established from female temporo-occipital scalp.

Magnetic resonance imaging and explantation investigation of long-term silicone gel implant integrity.

Background: Information about silicone gel implant longevity is sparse. Magnetic resonance imaging studies have superseded explantation studies in the search for data on their long-term integrity. Unfortunately, the majority of studies are based predominantly on second-generation implant cohorts.

Epidemiology and outcome analysis of 208 children with burns attending an emergency department.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to prospectively study all burns attending a single inner city emergency department (ED) to establish epidemiological burn patterns and final outcomes for thermal injuries affecting children.

Design And Setting: A 12-month prospective study of all burns involving children (ages, 0-16 years) presenting to a single ED serving approximately 500,000 people.

Results: Two hundred eight children with burns attended the ED.

Bilateral pyoderma gangrenosum complicating minimal access cranial suspension face lift.

We present the case of a previously healthy 53-year-old woman upon whom a minimal access cranial suspension (MACS) face lift and bilateral upper and lower blepharoplasty were performed. Her preauricular wounds recurrently broke down postoperatively, and after surgically excluding stitch granuloma, a diagnosis of pyoderma gangrenosum was made. The wound breakdown resolved with topical steroid treatment.

Quantifying collagen type in mature burn scars: a novel approach using histology and digital image analysis.

Using Herovici staining and digital image analysis, we have studied the collagen subtype and fiber orientation in mature burn scars. These techniques have shown mature burn scars to have increased type I/type III collagen ratios compared with normal skin. Additionally, the collagen orientation of burn scars has been shown to be thickened, tightly packed, and lacking the "basket weave" appearance of normal skin specimens.