Adipogenic differentiation of canine hair follicle stem cells (cHFSCs)

Homeostasis in adult body is maintained by stem cells which is a powerful reservoir harbored in the body which regenerate tissue and in response to disease and injury. Hair follicle is a dynamic mini organ supporting important biological functions of the body in maintaining homeostasis and skin tissue self-renewal. Hair follicle protects the body from cold and potential injuries. To know the pluripotency nature of hair follicle stem cells,a study was conducted on canine HFSCs (cHFSCs).

In-vitro culture of cHFSCs was done by William's E medium with several growth factors and passaged. Stemness of the cultured cells was assessed by immunostaining of cells with Anti-cytokeratin 15 (CK15) marker. Viability of cells was checked by acridine orange staining and passage 2 cells were induced for adipogenic differentiation using adipogenic induction media for a period of seven days.

A spindle shaped cell with accumulation of fat droplets was observed in differentiated cHFSCs. Differentiated cHFSCs were positively stained for Oil Red ‘O’ staining. Thus, this research proves that cHFSCs were multipotent cells which can be differentiated into many other type of cells such as adipocytes, chondrocytes, etc.