Induction of vascular endothelial growth factor messenger ribonucleic acid expression in stored micrografts by aminoguanidine.

Background And Objectives: Aminoguanidine (AMG) has been found to inhibit apoptotic cell death in hair follicle micrografts and improves the viability of isolated micrografts during the storage period in hair restoration surgery. In this study, we investigated the effect of AMG on messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) synthesis of growth factors in stored micrografts and primary cultures of follicle-derived cell populations.

Method: Hair follicles were obtained from 10 different patients undergoing routine micrograft transplant and were stored for 5 hours at room temperature in phosphate-buffered saline containing different concentrations of AMG.

Reorganization of hair follicles in human skin organ culture induced by cultured human follicle-derived cells.

Studies of human hair follicle (HF) induction by follicle-derived cells have been limited due to a lack of suitable test systems. In this study, we established a skin organ culture system which supports HF formation by follicle-derived cells. Long-term skin organ cultures were set up from human retroauricular skin specimens and maintained in culture for up to 8 weeks.