SERUM-FREE CULTURE OF WOOL FOLLICLES - EFFECTS OF NUTRIENTS, GROWTH-FACTORS AND HORMONES

A serum-free culture system allowed the continued growth of fibre from wool follicles for 8-10 days, Fibre growth was responsive to changes in the level of calcium, glucose and amino acids in the culture medium , and was stimulated by the inclusion of insulin (10 mu g/mL) in the m edium. Culture of follicles in the presence of conditioned media from dermal papilla cells or of mitomycin-treated dermal papilla cells had no effect on fibre growth, Neither thyroid hormones nor hydrocortisone altered fibre growth, The progressive decline in fibre growth during follicle culture was accompanied by morphological changes in the folli cle bulb, Oxidative damage did not appear to be the cause of these cha nges as there was no increase in fibre growth rate or longevity when a ntioxidants were used. This model provides a useful system to study th e direct effects of various hormonal, nutritional and growth factors o n fibre growth and follicle metabolism.