Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 7, 2026
Isolation and Culture of Primary Endothelial Cells from Canine Arteries and Veins
Published on: November 18, 2016
Identification of 5α-reductase isoenzymes in canine skin
Lucilene Bernardi de Souza1, Manon Paradis1, Gustavo Zamberlam2
1Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, de Montréal, St-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada.
Background:
Alopecia X in dogs is a noninflammatory alopecia that may be caused by a hormonal dysfunction. It may be similar to androgenic alopecia in men that is caused by the effect of dihydrotestosterone (DHT). The 5α-reductase isoenzymes, 5αR1 and 5αR2, and a recently described 5αR3, are responsible for the conversion of testosterone into DHT. However, which 5α-reductases are present in canine skin has not yet been described.
Objectives:
The main objective of this study was to determine the pattern of expression of 5α-reductase genes in canine skin.
Methods:
Skin biopsies were obtained from healthy, intact young-mature beagles (three males, four females) at three anatomical sites normally affected by alopecia X (dorsal neck, back of thighs and base of tail) and two sites generally unaffected (dorsal head and ventral thorax). Prostate samples (n = 3) were collected as positive controls for 5α-reductase mRNA abundance measurement by real-time PCR.
Results:
We detected mRNA encoding 5αR1 and 5αR3 but not 5αR2. There were no significant differences in 5αR1 and 5αR3 mRNA levels between the different anatomical sites, irrespective of gender (P > 0.05). Moreover, the mean mRNA abundance in each anatomical site did not differ between males and females (P > 0.05).
Conclusions And Clinical Importance:
To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study demonstrating the expression of 5α-reductases in canine skin and the expression of 5αR3 in this tissue. These results may help to elucidate the pathogenesis of alopecia X and to determine more appropriate treatments for this disorder.
