Alteration of hair growth in mice by circulating exosomes from Xinji fine-wool and Small-tailed Han sheep

Xinyu Zhang ¹ Wei Wang ¹ Wei Fan ¹ Yilu Zhai ¹ Jiaqi Fu ¹ Jinshun Cai ¹ Dazhuo Zhao ^2* Fuliang Sun ^1*

• ¹ Yanbian University, Yanji, China
• ² Animal Disease Prevention and Control Center Yanji,China, Yanji, China

Animal hair growth is an important research topic in the field of breeding. Hair growth is affected by circulating exosomes in the plasma, and sheep wool fiber thickness is altered by intravenous injection of miRNA mimics. This study investigated the effect of miRNAs in circulating exosomes on the animal's hair growth. Circulating exosomes were isolated from Xinji fine-wool and Small-tailed Han sheep plasma using a two-phase system. A blank control group (NC), groups of model mice injected with exosomes from Xinji fine wool sheep (XPE), and groups of model mice injected with exosomes from Small-tailed Han sheep group (SPE) were set up as three groups of hair regeneration models. The results showed that the diameter of hair follicles in the XPE group was significantly smaller than that of the NC and SPE groups (P < 0.05), and the diameter of hair follicles in the SPE group was significantly larger than that of NC and XPE groups (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the number of hair follicles among the three groups directly (P > 0.05). The diameter of hairs in the SPE group was highly significantly greater than that in the NC and XPE groups (P < 0.001), and the diameter of hairs in XPE group was significantly greater than that in the NC and SPE groups (P < 0.01). In addition, the expression of hair follicle growth markers Lef1, Wnt10b, Dkk1, β-catenin, Ptch1, and Shh indicated circulating exosomes can accelerate the hair follicle development cycle. Expression of hair melanin synthesis genes FZD3 and FZD4 indicated circulating exosomes can affect the hair follicle melanin synthesis. Immunohistochemistry results showed that the SPE group had greater levels of α-SMA protein. miR-31-5p, miR-133b, miR-433-3p, and miR-218 were similarly expressed in different samples, and expression of all these miRNAs was significantly greater in the SPE group compared with the XPE group (P < 0.05). Circulating exosomes in Xinji fine-wool and Small-tailed Han sheep altered hair growth in mice.