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01-01-2017 | Method Paper

The arrector pili muscle, the bridge between the follicular stem cell niche and the interfollicular epidermis

Authors: Niloufar Torkamani, Nicholas Rufaut, Leslie Jones, Rodney Sinclair

Published in: Anatomical Science International | Issue 1/2017

Abstract

Proximally, the arrector pili muscle (APM) attaches to the follicular stem cell niche in the bulge, but its distal properties are comparatively unclear. In this work, a novel method employing an F-actin probe, phalloidin, was employed to visualize the APM anatomy. Phalloidin staining of the APM was validated by comparison with conventional antibodies/stains and by generating three-dimensional reconstructions. The proximal attachment of the APM to the bulge in 8 patients with androgenic alopecia was studied using Masson’s trichrome stain. Phalloidin visualized extensive branching of the APM. The distal end of the human APM exhibits a unique “C”-shaped structure connecting to the dermal–epidermal junction. The proximal APM attachment was observed to be lost or extremely miniaturized in androgenic alopecia. The unique shape, location, and attachment sites of the APM suggest a significant role for this muscle in maintaining follicular integrity. Proximally, the APM encircles the follicular unit and only attaches to the primary hair follicle in the bulge; this attachment is lost in irreversible hair loss. The APM exhibits an arborized morphology as it ascends toward the epidermis, and anchors to the basement membrane.

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Title: The arrector pili muscle, the bridge between the follicular stem cell niche and the interfollicular epidermis
Authors: Niloufar Torkamani
Nicholas Rufaut
Leslie Jones
Rodney Sinclair
Publication date: 01-01-2017
Publisher: Springer Japan
Published in: Anatomical Science International / Issue 1/2017
Print ISSN: 1447-6959
Electronic ISSN: 1447-073X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12565-016-0359-5

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

The arrector pili muscle, the bridge between the follicular stem cell niche and the interfollicular epidermis

Abstract

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

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