Thyrotropin-releasing hormone selectively stimulates human hair follicle pigmentation

TY - JOUR

T1 - Thyrotropin-releasing hormone selectively stimulates human hair follicle pigmentation

AU - Gáspár, Erzsébet

AU - Nguyen-Thi, Kim T

AU - Hardenbicker, Celine

AU - Tiede, Stephan

AU - Plate, Christian

AU - Bodó, Eniko

AU - Knuever, Jana

AU - Funk, Wolfgang

AU - Bíró, Tamás

AU - Paus, Ralf

PY - 2011/12

Y1 - 2011/12

N2 - In amphibians, thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) stimulates skin melanophores by inducing secretion of α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone in the pituitary gland. However, it is unknown whether this tripeptide neurohormone exerts any direct effects on pigment cells, namely, on human melanocytes, under physiological conditions. Therefore, we have investigated whether TRH stimulates pigment production in organ-cultured human hair follicles (HFs), the epithelium of which expresses both TRH and its receptor, and/or in full-thickness human skin in situ. TRH stimulated melanin synthesis, tyrosinase transcription and activity, melanosome formation, melanocyte dendricity, gp100 immunoreactivity, and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor expression in human HFs in a pituitary gland-independent manner. TRH also stimulated proliferation, gp100 expression, tyrosinase activity, and dendricity of isolated human HF melanocytes. However, intraepidermal melanogenesis was unaffected. As TRH upregulated the intrafollicular production of "pituitary" neurohormones (proopiomelanocortin transcription and ACTH immunoreactivity) and as agouti-signaling protein counteracted TRH-induced HF pigmentation, these pigmentary TRH effects may be mediated in part by locally generated melanocortins and/or by MC-1 signaling. Our study introduces TRH as a novel, potent, selective, and evolutionarily highly conserved neuroendocrine factor controlling human pigmentation in situ. This physiologically relevant and melanocyte sub-population-specific neuroendocrine control of human pigmentation deserves clinical exploration, e.g., for preventing or reversing hair graying.

AB - In amphibians, thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) stimulates skin melanophores by inducing secretion of α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone in the pituitary gland. However, it is unknown whether this tripeptide neurohormone exerts any direct effects on pigment cells, namely, on human melanocytes, under physiological conditions. Therefore, we have investigated whether TRH stimulates pigment production in organ-cultured human hair follicles (HFs), the epithelium of which expresses both TRH and its receptor, and/or in full-thickness human skin in situ. TRH stimulated melanin synthesis, tyrosinase transcription and activity, melanosome formation, melanocyte dendricity, gp100 immunoreactivity, and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor expression in human HFs in a pituitary gland-independent manner. TRH also stimulated proliferation, gp100 expression, tyrosinase activity, and dendricity of isolated human HF melanocytes. However, intraepidermal melanogenesis was unaffected. As TRH upregulated the intrafollicular production of "pituitary" neurohormones (proopiomelanocortin transcription and ACTH immunoreactivity) and as agouti-signaling protein counteracted TRH-induced HF pigmentation, these pigmentary TRH effects may be mediated in part by locally generated melanocortins and/or by MC-1 signaling. Our study introduces TRH as a novel, potent, selective, and evolutionarily highly conserved neuroendocrine factor controlling human pigmentation in situ. This physiologically relevant and melanocyte sub-population-specific neuroendocrine control of human pigmentation deserves clinical exploration, e.g., for preventing or reversing hair graying.

KW - Adrenocorticotropic Hormone

KW - Agouti Signaling Protein

KW - Cell Proliferation

KW - Female

KW - Hair Color

KW - Hair Follicle

KW - Humans

KW - Melanins

KW - Melanocortins

KW - Melanocytes

KW - Microphthalmia-Associated Transcription Factor

KW - Monophenol Monooxygenase

KW - Organ Culture Techniques

KW - Pro-Opiomelanocortin

KW - Receptors, Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone

KW - Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone

KW - gp100 Melanoma Antigen

KW - Journal Article

KW - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

U2 - 10.1038/jid.2011.221

DO - 10.1038/jid.2011.221

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

C2 - 21956127

VL - 131

SP - 2368

EP - 2377

JO - J INVEST DERMATOL

JF - J INVEST DERMATOL

SN - 0022-202X

IS - 12

ER -