I am using DNCB-induced atopic dermatitis model. I have noticed that in mice with thick coat of hair, the skin is mildly lichenlified and soon become flaky (enclosed exemplary image below). I used depilatory cream to remove the hair but it grew again just the next day, and the skin got even drier. What causes that phenomenon to happen and can I avoid it somehow (because the thick hair involves much in the topical application of my treatment)?
Thank you very much in advance for your time and answer.
I am not sure I understand correctly what the problem is. Whenever you use depilation cream you basically induce a new hair growth cycle. This is one of the methods to study hair growth in mice, especially around postnatal day 50.
When do you start your treatment, what postnatal day? Do you have to depilate or could you just shave the mice? In mice, shaving by itself does not trigger new hair growth.
But even just shaving may not solve your problem since the DNCB may induce hair growth, but I am not sure about that. I have never used it and cannot comment on this. However, it is/was used to treat certain forms of alopecia and may directly or indirectly stimulate hair growth ("INDUCTION OF HAIR GROWTH IN ALOPECIA AREATA WITH D.N.C.B.": "43 patients with alopecia areata were treated with weekly applications of dinitrochlorobenzene (D.N.C.B.), dissolved in acetone, on one side of the head, with the other side serving as control region. The therapeutic aim was a mild contact dermatitis. A significant difference of hair growth between the treated and untreated sides was observed in 33 patients. 21 patients showed regrowth of hair exclusively on the treated side, and in 12 patients regrowth was considerably faster and more dense on the treated side."). I am not sure the exact mechanism is known how DNCB and other contact sensitizers stimulate hair growth in patients with alopecia. It runs under the term immunotherapy and may alter how the immune system treats the hair follicle. It may perhaps also provide growth factors that stimulate hair growth and simulate the events that trigger hair growth after wounding, plucking or some inflammatory events...
Therefore, hair growth and regrowth may to some extent always interfere with your treatment protocol.
Another thing: " I used depilatory cream to remove the hair but it grew again just the next day," This statement is strange. It takes a few days after depilation for new hair to grown in and you should not be able to visibly notice it "the next day".
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