{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,1]],"date-time":"2026-06-01T17:51:30Z","timestamp":1780336290000,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":16,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,18]],"date-time":"2025-06-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1750204800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100019354","name":"Azabu University","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100019354","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"<jats:p>An animal\u2019s coat protects its body from ultraviolet rays, physical and chemical damage, and temperature changes. It also plays an important role in showing individual information like a pattern for the outside world. In addition, changes in the condition of an animal\u2019s coat may occur due to health or psychological changes and are important indicators from the perspective of health management and the welfare of captive animals. Also, the quantity and texture of human hair play a role in the impression it gives to others; however, few reports have objectively quantified the appearance and detailed analysis of hair condition relative to the time of appearance. In this study, we quantified changes in hair coat condition and examined the underlying causes. The results indicated that changes in hair coat condition in male mice were significantly greater compared with that in female mice and were affected by testicular-derived factors and the presence or absence of cohabiting individuals. We also found that the condition of the coat is related to the length of the lift-edges cuticle region (LCR), which indicates that the cuticle condition affects the overall impression of the coat. This is the first report to show that changes in hair coat condition within sexual difference are related to the length of the LCR, suggesting that gender is a direct factor in the hair coat condition. Cohabitation, or the presence and relationship between one another, is an indirect factor.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0324993","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,18]],"date-time":"2025-06-18T17:48:54Z","timestamp":1750268934000},"page":"e0324993","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Differences in hair coat condition between female and male mice occur through testicular-derived factors and are affected by the presence of another mouse"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"20","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0007-9260-2138","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Aisa","family":"Ozawa","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mei","family":"Imada","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ayane","family":"Hata","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kei","family":"Yokosuka","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Motoharu","family":"Sakaue","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,18]]},"reference":[{"issue":"15","key":"pone.0324993.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"5342","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms21155342","article-title":"Hormonal effects on hair follicles","volume":"21","author":"M Grymowicz","year":"2020","journal-title":"Int J Mol Sci"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0324993.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"168","DOI":"10.1111\/exd.12024","article-title":"Androgen actions on the human hair follicle: perspectives","volume":"22","author":"S Inui","year":"2013","journal-title":"Exp Dermatol"},{"key":"pone.0324993.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"122","DOI":"10.1016\/j.mce.2017.09.009","article-title":"Androgens and androgen receptor action in skin and hair follicles","volume":"465","author":"JM Ceruti","year":"2018","journal-title":"Mol Cell Endocrinol"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0324993.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1214","DOI":"10.1210\/en.2004-1219","article-title":"Hair cycle control by estrogens: catagen induction via estrogen receptor (ER)-alpha is checked by ER beta signaling","volume":"146","author":"U Ohnemus","year":"2005","journal-title":"Endocrinology"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0324993.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"677","DOI":"10.1210\/er.2006-0020","article-title":"The hair follicle as an estrogen target and source","volume":"27","author":"U Ohnemus","year":"2006","journal-title":"Endocr Rev"},{"issue":"22","key":"pone.0324993.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"12525","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.93.22.12525","article-title":"An estrogen receptor pathway regulates the telogen-anagen hair follicle transition and influences epidermal cell proliferation","volume":"93","author":"HS Oh","year":"1996","journal-title":"Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0324993.ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"343","DOI":"10.1111\/ics.12782","article-title":"Cuticle - designed by nature for the sake of the hair","volume":"44","author":"S Breakspear","year":"2022","journal-title":"Int J Cosmet Sci"},{"key":"pone.0324993.ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"152","DOI":"10.1016\/j.msec.2016.12.008","article-title":"Structure and mechanical behavior of human hair","volume":"73","author":"Y Yu","year":"2017","journal-title":"Mater Sci Eng C Mater Biol Appl"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0324993.ref009","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"412","DOI":"10.1016\/j.clindermatol.2010.03.038","article-title":"Nutrition and hair","volume":"28","author":"LJ Goldberg","year":"2010","journal-title":"Clin Dermatol"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0324993.ref010","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"43","DOI":"10.1159\/000017864","article-title":"Mechanisms of androgen induction of sebocyte differentiation","volume":"196","author":"RL Rosenfield","year":"1998","journal-title":"Dermatology"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0324993.ref011","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"428","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2133.2006.07671.x","article-title":"Testosterone metabolism to 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone and synthesis of sebaceous lipids is regulated by the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ligand linoleic acid in human sebocytes","volume":"156","author":"E Makrantonaki","year":"2007","journal-title":"Br J Dermatol"},{"key":"pone.0324993.ref012","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"106179","DOI":"10.1016\/j.nbd.2023.106179","article-title":"Reduction of aggressive behaviour following hypothalamic deep brain stimulation: involvement of 5-HT1A and testosterone","volume":"183","author":"FV Gouveia","year":"2023","journal-title":"Neurobiol Dis"},{"key":"pone.0324993.ref013","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"104709","DOI":"10.1016\/j.yhbeh.2020.104709","article-title":"Testosterone-related behavioral and neural mechanisms associated with location preferences: a model for territorial establishment","volume":"121","author":"X Zhao","year":"2020","journal-title":"Horm Behav"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0324993.ref014","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"89","DOI":"10.1095\/biolreprod31.1.89","article-title":"Studies of the male-originating pheromones involved in the Whitten effect and Bruce effect in mice","volume":"31","author":"BK Gangrade","year":"1984","journal-title":"Biol Reprod"},{"key":"pone.0324993.ref015","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"103","DOI":"10.1016\/j.yhbeh.2014.08.003","article-title":"Sex steroids as pheromones in mammals: the exceptional role of estradiol","volume":"68","author":"D deCatanzaro","year":"2015","journal-title":"Horm Behav"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0324993.ref016","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"327","DOI":"10.1002\/ajpa.23633","article-title":"The presence of females induces elevated cortisol levels in an alpha male: experimental evidence in chimpanzees","volume":"167","author":"N Kutsukake","year":"2018","journal-title":"Am J Phys Anthropol"}],"container-title":["PLOS One"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0324993","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,18]],"date-time":"2025-06-18T17:48:58Z","timestamp":1750268938000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0324993"}},"subtitle":[],"editor":[{"given":"Wolfgang","family":"Blenau,","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"editor"}]}],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,18]]},"references-count":16,"journal-issue":{"issue":"6","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,18]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0324993","relation":{},"ISSN":["1932-6203"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1932-6203","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,18]]}}}