HISTOCHEMICAL STUDY ON GLYCOGEN METABOLISM IN HAIR FOLLICLES

Abstract

By application of Lineweaver-Burk's graphical method to the histochemical system, glycogen phosphorylase and UDP glucose-glycogen glycosyltransferase (glycogen synthetase) activities were studied in hair follicles taken from both the bald and hairy regions of the scalp. The first discernible appearance of the newly formed polysaccharide was recorded at the end point of each point of each enzyme reaction. Although there was no difference between terminal and vellus hair follicles in the distribution of phosphorylase and glycogen synthetase, the activities were higher in the former. In both types of follicles, the bulbar sac was the site of the highest activity of all enzymes except phosphorylase b, which showed its highest activity in the lower portion of the anagen external sheath. Phosphorylase a activity in the lower external sheath was considerably lower than that in the bulbar sac, but not as low as glycogen synthetase activity. From these data it was concluded that the accumulation of glycogen in the lower external sheath is due to a decrease in phosphorylase a activity relative to glycogen synthetase.