Original Article

Journal of Investigative Dermatology (1978) 70, 328–330; doi:10.1111/1523-1747.ep12543511

Increased Sebaceous Gland Activity in the Adult Rat after alpha-Melanocyte-stimulating Hormone Treatment during Early Life

A J Thody, D Meddis and Sam Shuster

Department of Dermatology, Wellcome Laboratories for Research into Skin Diseases, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne, England

Received 13 September 1977; Accepted 13 December 1977.

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Abstract

Sebum secretion was measured in adult female and male rats given alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) during early life. Daily treatment with 40 mug alpha-MSH/100 gm body weight for the first 5 weeks of life increased sebum secretion in female and male rats at 8, 11, and 15 weeks of age. A lower dose of alpha-MSH (10 mug/100 gm body weight) produced similar changes in male but not in female rats. No effect on sebum secretion was found in female and male rats aged between 8-28 weeks when alpha-MSH was given (1) from the day of birth to 3 weeks; (2) 3-5 weeks; (3) 1st and 5th weeks and (4) 7-12 weeks. Apparently alpha-MSH must be given throughout the first 5 weeks of life in order to produce a sustained effect on the sebaceous glands. The fact that males appear to be more sensitive than females, in that they responded to a lower dose of alpha-MSH, may indicate that MSH acts by enhancing the response to androgen. Early alpha-MSH treatment failed to alter the sebaceous gland response to testosterone in adult female and male rats but the possibility that alpha-MSH enhances the action of androgen in early life cannot be ruled out.

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References

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