• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.96-126
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• 2002

In the course of screening natural extracts for hair growth, we found that the extract of dried root of Sophora flavescens has the prominent hair growth promoting effect. After topical application of Sophora flavescens extract to the back of C57BL/6 mice, the earlier conversion of telogen-to-anagen phase was induced. In addition, the Sophora flavescens extract revealed to possess potent inhibitory effect on $5{\alpha}$-reductase Ⅰ and Ⅱ activity. The growth of dermal papilla cells and mouse vibrissae hair follicle cultured in vitro, however, was not affected by Sophora flavescens extract treatment. RT-PCR analysis showed that Sophora flavescens extract induced mRNA levels of growth factors such as insulin-like growth factor-Ⅰ and keratinocyte growth factor in dermal papilla cells, suggesting hair growth promoting effect of Sophora flavescens extract is mediated through inhibition of $5{\alpha}$-reductase type Ⅱ activity and the regulation of growth factors in dermal papilla cells. Furthermore, Sophora flavescens extract also showed anti-bacterial effect on Propionibacterium acnes. These results suggest that Sophora flavescens can be used as a potent treatment agent for helping hair growth stimulation and acne inhibition.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.405-413
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• 2022

Hair loss is a common status found among people of all ages. Since the role of hair is much more related to culture and individual identity, hair loss can have a great influence on well-being and quality of life. It is a disorder that is observed in only scalp patients with androgenetic alopecia (AGA) or alopecia areata caused by stress or immune response abnormalities. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved therapeutic medicines such as finasteride, and minoxidil improve hair loss temporarily, but when they stop, they have a limitation in that hair loss occurs again. As an alternative strategy for improving hair growth, many studies reported that there is a relationship between the expression levels of prostaglandins (PGs) and hair growth. Four major PGs such as prostaglandin D2 (PGD2₂), prostaglandin I2 (PGI₂), prostaglandin E2 (PGE₂), and prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF_2α) are spatiotemporally expressed in hair follicles and are implicated in hair loss. This review investigated the physiological roles and pharmacological interventions of the PGs in the pathogenesis of hair loss and provided these novel insights for clinical therapeutics for patients suffering from alopecia.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.49-54
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• 2004

The hair growth effect of the oriental medicine extract which is composed of Polygoni multiflori Radix, Angelica gigantis Radix and Lycii Fructus was studied biochemically and histologically. The study was conducted dividelly into three groups, control, propecia and oriental medicine extract and three groups were compared each other in skin androgen, testosterone (T) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT), content biochemically and the number of hair follicular unit and hair follicle histologically. The oriental medicine extract and propecia decreased skin DHT conetent and increased skin total (T+DHT) content compared with control. In transverse sections of skin specimens the oriental medicine extract and propecia increased total counts of follicular units and follicles compared with control. On the basis of the result, the oriental medicine extract has same hair growth effect as propecia and it is suggested that the oriental medicne extract is capable of a therapeutic agent of alopecia.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.136-144
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• 2014

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of Platycarya strobilacea S. et Z. (PSE) extract on mouse hair growth and to determine the mechanism of action of PSE. PSE was purchased and its antioxidant activities, such as electron donating ability, total polyphenol content, and flavonoid content were tested. Toxicity during topical treatment was determined by the CCK-8 assay, a cell viability test. Fifteen 4-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were assigned to receive one of three treatments: dimethyl sulfoxide (negative control), minoxidil (positive control) or PSE. Test materials were topically applied to the shaved dorsal skin of each mouse daily for 3 weeks. After 21 days, we observed skin tissue hair follicle morphology and length, mast cell number, and stem cell factor (SCF) expression using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), toluidine blue, and immunohistochemical staining, respectively. Furthermore, the expression of cytokines involved in hair growth [i.e., insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1, keratinocyte growth factor (KGF), and transforming growth factor (TGF)-${\beta}1$] was determined by PCR. PSE was found to have very high antioxidant activity. The cell viability rate of PSE-treated mice was markedly higher than that of mice in the control group. We also observed an increase in hair follicle length, strong SCF staining, and a decrease in mast cell number in the PSE group. In addition, PSE-treated mice had higher IGF-1 and KGF expression and lower TGF-${\beta}1$ expression than mice in the minoxidil-treated group. These results suggest that topical application of PSE promotes hair growth by intensifying SCF, suppressing mast cell production, and increasing hair growth-promoting cytokine expression.

• International Journal of Molecular Medicine
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.2409-2419
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• 2019

The use of finasteride for alleviating hair loss has been investigated, and it has been applied as an oral dose medication. However, due to the inconvenience of daily drug administration over long period of time, novel controllable finasteride delivery has been actively investigated. As a novel method of finasteride delivery, the development of finasteride-loaded microspheres for subcutaneous administration is becoming increasingly pharmaceutically important. Therefore, the present study aimed to use finasteride-loaded microspheres in a controlled manner in an attempt to overcome the limitations of the oral administration of finasteride and to cause fewer adverse effects. Finasteride-loaded microspheres containing poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) and finasteride at a ratio of 4:1 were prepared, and a testosterone-induced androgenic alopecia mouse model was used. Following observation for 10 weeks, the percentage hair growth was 86.7% (total hair growth 60%, partial hair growth 26.7%) in the orally-applied finasteride-treated group as a positive control, and 93.3% (total hair growth 60%, partial hair growth 33.3%) in the finasteride-loaded microspheres-treated group. Serum dihydrotestosterone levels began to decrease at week 6 in the orally-applied finasteride- and finasteride-loaded microsphere-treated groups. In addition, the finasteride-loaded microspheres-treated group exhibited similar follicular number, follicular length, anagen/telogen ratio and hair bulb diameter values to those of the orally-applied finasteride-treated group. Furthermore, the finasteride-loaded microspheres increased the activities of phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B and Wnt/β-catenin in relation to hair follicle cell growth signaling in mouse skin, and suppressed the apoptosis of hair follicle cells by reducing the expression of transforming growth factor-β2 and caspase-3, which are indicators of apoptosis. In conclusion, the administration of a single injection of finasteride-loaded microspheres was effective in treating testosterone-induced alopecia. Furthermore, it led to equivalent hair growth effects when compared with orally-applied finasteride, thus revealing the possibility of effective treatment via different routes of administration.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.43-51
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• 2022

Regulation of the hair follicle cycle in association with dermal papilla cells is one of the most interesting targets for promoting hair regrowth. In this study, we examined whether steam-dried Betula platyphylla extracts (BPE) promote hair growth by upregulating in vitro and in vivo responses of dermal papilla cells. The data showed that BPE3 contained high amounts of phenolic compounds with higher antioxidant effects and increased hair growth-related genes, including fibroblast growth factor7 and Wnt7b, in dermal papilla cells. Notably, BPE3 effectively enhanced the formation of hair follicles by increasing FGF7, Wnt7b, and vascular endothelial growth factor in C57BL/6N dorsal skins. Additionally, BPE3 significantly decreased the expression of inflammatory repertoires, inducible nitric oxide synthase, interleukin-6, and cyclooxygenase 2. Several small molecules, such as betulin and unsaturated fatty acids, support the pharmacological activity of BPE3. In conclusion, BPE3 effectively promoted hair growth by activating dermal papilla cells and enhancing hair follicle cycles by attenuating the inflammatory environment in the scalp.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.555-566
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• 2018

Human umbilical cord blood mesenchymal stem cells (hUCB-MSCs) are used in tissue repair and regeneration; however, the mechanisms involved are not well understood. We investigated the hair growth-promoting effects of hUCB-MSCs treatment to determine whether hUCB-MSCs enhance the promotion of hair growth. Furthermore, we attempted to identify the factors responsible for hair growth. The effects of hUCB-MSCs on hair growth were investigated in vivo, and hUCB-MSCs advanced anagen onset and hair follicle neogeneration. We found that hUCB-MSCs co-culture increased the viability and up-regulated hair induction-related proteins of human dermal papilla cells (hDPCs) in vitro. A growth factor antibody array revealed that secretory factors from hUCB-MSCs are related to hair growth. Insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were increased in co-culture medium. Finally, we found that IGFBP-1, through the co-localization of an IGF-1 and IGFBP-1, had positive effects on cell viability; VEGF secretion; expression of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), CD133, and ${\beta}-catenin$; and formation of hDPCs 3D spheroids. Taken together, these data suggest that hUCB-MSCs promote hair growth via a paracrine mechanism.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.507-513
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• 2008

Purpose: Interest in the augmentation of hair growth for functional and aesthetic purpose has increased dramatically in recent years. Many hair growth products have been released, but most of these have not been proven scientifically. This study aims to measure the hair growth effect of azelaic acid and vitamin $B_6$, which have been known as hair growth materials, in animal models. Methods: Six weeks old C57BL/6 mice were used in this study and hair of mice were removed by topical treatment. The mice were divided into five experimental groups according to the testing material such as saline (negative control), propylene glycol(vehicle control), azelaic acid, vitamin B6 and azelaic acid plus vitamin B6 in combination. Hair growth was documented photographically and histologically, and then analysed by the high quality hair analysis program system. The quantity of endocrine factors, IGF-I and TGF-${\beta}1$ in the skin of mice was measured by PCR analysis. Results: The topical treatment of azelaic acid and vitamin B6 in combination for 2 weeks to dorsal skin accelerated hair regrowth more than other groups. The azelaic acid and vitamin $B_6$-combined treatment also promoted hair follicle elongation and thickness compared to the others. Histologic studies showed increased number of basal cells in azelaic acid and vitamin $B_6$-combined treatment. Furthermore, the azelaic acid and vitamin $B_6$-combined group significantly increased the expression of IGF-I but decreased the expression of TGF-${\beta}1$ in the skin of mice compared to other groups. Conclusion: These results suggest that azelaic acid and vitamin $B_6$, when used together, have an additive effect and might be used as hair growth materials.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.74-94
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• 2016

Objectives : YangHyulEum Gami-Bang(YHEG) is a hair care extracts which is composed of fourteen plant extracts used in oriental medicine. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of YangHyulEum Gami-Bang(YHEG) on the alopecia and hair growth.Methods & Results : The herbal extracts from YangHyulEum Gami-Bang(YHEG) was tested using in vivo and in vitro test models. 1. The YHEG extracts showed effect on the DNA proliferation of the hair dermal papilla cells measured by [3H]thymidine incorporation. 2. YHEG showed promoting on the expression of growth factors such as IGF-1, KGF-1 and inhibiting on the expression of inhibitory hair growth factor such as TGF-β1, BMP-2 estimated by qPCR. 3. The YHEG extracts showed effect on the activation of β-catenin in the dermal papilla cells. 4. YHEG showed inhibitory effects of NO synthesis at 0.2% concentrations. 5. YHEG showed effects in the expression of IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, COX-2 and iNOS gene in the LPS stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. 6. The hair growth index of the YHEG extracts ranked at over 2 when compared to control group which was ranked at 0. 7. The hair follicle number, length and size of the experimental group were remarkably higher than the control group in the histological observation.Conclusions : These results suggest that YangHyulEum Gami-Bang(YHEG) has hair growth promoting activity and it can be used as a potent treatment agent for preventing hair loss and stimulating hair growth for treatment of alopecia.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.653-662
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• 2014

This study was determined the hair growth effect and mode of action of a complex extract (abelmo), extracted from various natural plants including Acorus calamus var. angustatus. 30 six-week old C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned into three treatment groups with ten mice per treatment group repeatedly. The treatment group is a control group, and was classified into saline-applied, minoxidil 5%-applied, and abelmo-applied groups. Hair growth started from the abelmo-applied and minoxidil 5% -applied groups on the 9th day, compared to the saline-applied group. Hair growth rate was 17.06% and 19.15% in those two groups, respectively, and the abelmo-applied group's hair growth rate was higher. The density, length and thickness of hair were significantly higher in the order of abelmo-applied group, minoxidil 5%-applied group and saline-applied group on the 9th day, and hair root was strongly maintained in the abelmo-applied group. The density, length and thickness of hair in the abelmo-applied group were significantly higher by 599.8, 122.2 and 181.8% on the 9th day compared to the saline-applied group, and 166.7, 171.4 and 200.2% on the 12th day, and 136.6, 216.9 and 180.7%, respectively on the 15th day. As for hair follicle and the length of hair shaft from the dosal skin histopathology manifestation, the abelmo-applied group was more excellent than the saline-applied group and minoxidil 5%-applied group. This result actually confirmed the fact that abelmo promotes hair growth and strongly maintains hair root simultaneously.