NYMC Faculty Publications
Structural Changes in Hair Follicles and Sebaceous Glands of Hairless Mice Following Exposure to Sulfur Mustard
Author Type(s)
Faculty
DOI
10.1016/j.yexmp.2014.03.002
Journal Title
Experimental and Molecular Pathology
First Page
316
Last Page
327
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
6-1-2014
Department
Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology
Keywords
Animals, Apoptosis, Caspase 3, Cell Differentiation, Cell Proliferation, DNA Damage, Disease Models, Animal, Down-Regulation, Epithelial Cells, Galectin 3, Hair Follicle, Histones, Keratinocytes, Male, Mice, Mice, Hairless, Mustard Gas, Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 2, Sebaceous Glands, Skin, Wound Healing
Disciplines
Medicine and Health Sciences
Abstract
Sulfur mustard (SM) is a bifunctional alkylating agent causing skin inflammation, edema and blistering. A hallmark of SM-induced toxicity is follicular and interfollicular epithelial damage. In the present studies we determined if SM-induced structural alterations in hair follicles and sebaceous glands were correlated with cell damage, inflammation and wound healing. The dorsal skin of hairless mice was treated with saturated SM vapor. One to seven days later, epithelial cell karyolysis within the hair root sheath, infundibulum and isthmus was apparent, along with reduced numbers of sebocytes. Increased numbers of utriculi, some with connections to the skin surface, and engorged dermal cysts were also evident. This was associated with marked changes in expression of markers of DNA damage (phospho-H2A.X), apoptosis (cleaved caspase-3), and wound healing (FGFR2 and galectin-3) throughout pilosebaceous units. Conversely, fatty acid synthase and galectin-3 were down-regulated in sebocytes after SM. Decreased numbers of hair follicles and increased numbers of inflammatory cells surrounding the utriculi and follicular cysts were noted within the wound 3-7 days post-SM exposure. Expression of phospho-H2A.X, cleaved caspase-3, FGFR2 and galectin-3 was decreased in dysplastic follicular epidermis. Fourteen days after SM, engorged follicular cysts which expressed galectin-3 were noted within hyperplastic epidermis. Galectin-3 was also expressed in basal keratinocytes and in the first few layers of suprabasal keratinocytes in neoepidermis formed during wound healing indicating that this lectin is important in the early stages of keratinocyte differentiation. These data indicate that hair follicles and sebaceous glands are targets for SM in the skin.
Recommended Citation
Joseph, L., Heck, D. E., Cervelli, J. A., Composto, G. M., Babin, M. C., Casillas, R. P., Sinko, P. J., Gerecke, D. R., Laskin, D. L., & Laskin, J. D. (2014). Structural Changes in Hair Follicles and Sebaceous Glands of Hairless Mice Following Exposure to Sulfur Mustard. Experimental and Molecular Pathology, 96 (3), 316-327. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yexmp.2014.03.002
