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: Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2005 Nov 24;243(1-2):1-11. Epub 2005 Oct 11.
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Hair melanocytes as neuro-endocrine sensors-Pigments for our
imagination.
Tobin DJ, Kauser S.
Cutaneous Biology Research Group, Medical Biosciences, School of
Life Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD7 1DP,
UK.
We are currently experiencing a spectacular surge in our knowledge
of skin function both at the organ and organismal levels, much of this
due to a flurry of cutaneous neuroendocrinologic data, that positions
the skin as a major sensor of the periphery. As our body's largest
organ, the skin incorporates all major support systems including blood,
muscle and innervation as well as its role in immuno-competence,
psycho-emotion, ultraviolet radiation sensing, endocrine function, etc.
It is integral for maintenance of mammalian homeostasis and utilizes
locally-produced melanocortins to neutralize noxious stimuli. In
particular, the cutaneous pigmentary system is an important stress
response element of the skin's sensing apparatus; where stimuli
involving corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) and proopiomelanocortin
(POMC) peptides help regulate pigmentation in the hair follicle and the
epidermis. These pigmentary units are organized into symmetrical
functional pigmentary units composed of corticotropin-releasing hormone,
and the melanocortin POMC peptides melanocyte stimulating hormone,
adrenocorticotropic hormone and also the opiate beta-endorphin. These
new findings have led to the concept of "self-similarity" of
melanocortin systems based on their expression both at the local (skin)
and systemic (CNS) levels, where the only major apparent difference
appears to be one of scale. This review explores this concept and
describes how the components of the CRH/POMC systems may help regulate
the human hair follicle pigmentary unit.
PMID: 16223562 [PubMed - in process] |
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