Association of a mutation in TRPV3 with defective hair growth in rodents.

DS-Nh mice and WBN/Kob-Ht rats are spontaneous hairless mutant rodent strains. These animals develop spontaneous dermatitis under normal conditions. The non-hair Nh and Ht phenotypes are inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion, and the Nh mutation possesses a high potency for penetration.

Characterization of dermatitis arising spontaneously in DS-Nh mice maintained under conventional conditions: another possible model for atopic dermatitis.

DS-Nh (DS Nh/+) mice spontaneously develop dermatitis when they are housed in a conventional environment. In this study, we analyzed the clinical and histopathological features of dermatitis in DS-Nh mice, which is characterized by erythema, edema, and erosion on the face, neck, chest and flexor surfaces of their forelegs with marked scratching behavior. Histopathological examination, including immunohistochemistry, revealed that inflammatory cells consisting of mast cells, eosinophils, CD4-positive T cell-dominant lymphocytes and CD11b-positive macrophages infiltrated the skin lesions.