| Materials & Methods | |
| EXP I: Effects of PRL on Depilation-Induced anagen and hair fiber characteristics: Twelve mink in winter telogen, were treated with haloperidol (HAL) to stimulate PRL secretion, melatonin (MEL) to inhibit PRL secretion, or as controls. Two weeks later, the dorsal surface was depilated (Fig 3), and guard hair growth measured to the nearest mm at bi-weekly to weekly intervals. Skin samples were collected on dates when both guard and underhair follicles, in the depilated region, were in anagen VI. Blood PRL levels were previously reported (Larson et al., 2003). 
Fig. 3 Dorsal surface of mink following depilation (left) and after a typical fur growth response 4 weeks later (right). EXP II: Effects of PRL on spontaneous
anagen and hair fiber characteristics: Twelve adult female mink, in
winter telogen, were treated with HAL, MEL, or as controls. The dorsal surface
of each animal was sheared and guard growth measured at weekly intervals
throughout the summer and winter fur growth cycles. Skin samples were collected
when both guard and underhair follicles were in anagen VI, of the summer
and winter hair growth cycles.
HISTOLOGY: Skin was embedded in Paraffin, and sectioned (5-7 μm) parallel to the skin surface at the level of the sebaceous glands and stained with hemotoxylin and Eosin. Histological images were analyzed using both routine ocular microscopy and Scion Image software for Windows (Based on NIH Image for Mac by Wayne Rasband (wayne@helix.nih.gov). STATISTICS: The interval, in days, between the last perturbation to onset of anagen was analyzed by one way ANOVA followed by a Student-Newman-Keuls post-hoc test to analyze multiple comparisons. Hair density, diameter, ellipticity, and cross-sectional area data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc test to analyze multiple comparisons (SigmaStat statistical software, San Rafael, CA., and SAS system, SAS institute Inc. Cary, NC).
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