Quercetin promotes SHFSCs in cashmere goats: Mechanistic study

This study explored quercetin's effects on secondary hair follicle stem cells (SHFSCs) from Arbas cashmere goats. Treating SHFSCs with 10 microgram/mL quercetin for 48 h significantly boosted proliferation (enhanced viability, higher S-phase cells, upregulated PCNA/TERT) and inhibited apoptosis (downregulated pro-apoptotic genes like BAX, upregulated BCL2). Mechanistically, quercetin activated PI3K-Akt, Wnt, and TGF-B pathways, improved energy metabolism/antioxidant capacity, and its transcriptome data showed differentially expressed genes enriched in proliferation-related processes. It thus promotes SHFSC proliferation via multiple pathways, offering a strategy to improve goat cashmere production.