TESTOSTERONE-INDUCED ANDROGENETIC ALOPECIA MICE MODEL: A PRELIMINARY STUDY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22159/ijap.2025.v17s2.09Keywords:
AGA, BALB/c Mice, Dermal thickness, Hair follicle density, Mice modelAbstract
Objective: Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is the world's most common type of hair loss caused by an exaggerated response to androgens. The pathophysiology of AGA has been extensively studied to date, but the process of developing small animal trials remains a challenge.
Objective: This study aims to develop a testosterone-induced AGA mice model to facilitate future research related to AGA, either to understand the pathophysiology or to develop new therapeutic modalities. This AGA mice model may also be clinically useful, especially to facilitating drug testing for AGA therapies.
Methods: This is a preliminary in vivo study to develop AGA mice model. This study used BALB/c white mice. The AGA model was induced by subcutaneous injection of testosterone. The subjects were divided into three different groups, group a (0.05 ml testosterone subcutaneous injection), group B (0.075 ml testosterone subcutaneous injection) and group C (0.1 ml testosterone subcutaneous injection). Dermal thickness (DT) and hair follicle density (HFD) were the assessment parameters used to determine the optimal testosterone dose to induce the AGA model.
Results: BALB/c mice in group B obtained DT of 385.59 μm (p = 0.006) and HFD of 13.38/mm2 (p = 0.001), which were significantly lower than the other groups. This value is lower than group A with DT of 643.82 μm and HFD of 36.13/mm2 and group C with DT of 477.00 μm and HFD of 15.75/mm2.
Conclusion: Testosterone at dose 0.075 ml with subcutaneous injection can produce the most ideal AGA mice model and most similar to the condition of dermis and hair follicles in AGA patients.
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