Hair Growth Defects of Diabetic and Hypercholesterolemic Wistar Albino Rats and Amelioration of Fish Oil-Treatment

In this study we estimate the role of fish oil in preserving the hair shaft against dramatic changes of diabetes and or hypercholesterolemia in male Wistar albino rats. Forty male Wistar albino rats weighing approximately 100 g body weight were used in the present study. They were arranged into 8 groups; control, fish oil-supplementation (100 mg/kg every other day), diabetes (streptozotocin 40 mg/kg single dose in citrate buffer pH 4.6), hypercholesterolemia (3% cholesterol), diabetes & hypercholesterolemia, diabetes and or hypercholesterolemia & fish oil. After 12 weeks of treatment, the animals were sacrificed by lightly anesthetize with ether and decapitated. Their hair shafts were shed from their dorsal abdomen. They were subjected for scanning electron microscopy and assessments of amino acids, minerals, and keratin and protein carbonylation and glycation end product. The finding revealed apparent reduction of hair shaft thickness, alterations of some essential and non-essential amino acids and increase of protein carbonylation and glycation end product as well as keratin formation. Fish oil-treatment ameliorates the morphological structure and amino acids contents as well as reduces the formation of glycation end products and restores the loss of keratin. The authors finally concluded that fish oil contain n-3 fatty acid which have antioxidant property as well as required for regeneration of epidermal layers facilitate formation of hair shaft.