title: New topical antiandrogenic formulations can stimulate hair growth in human bald scalp grafted onto mice.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to test the ability of topical formulations of finasteride and flutamide to re-enlarge hair follicles in male-pattern baldness. This was evaluated by an experimental model of human scalp skin graft transplanted onto SCID mice. A comparison was made between formulations containing finasteride and flutamide, and a vehicle formulation in terms of the mean hairs per graft, length, diameter of the shafts, and structures of the growth stages of the hair. Flutamide and finasteride had a significantly higher effect (P<0.05) than the placebo in all the tested parameters, but flutamide demonstrated more hair per graft and longer hair shafts than finasteride (P<0.05). The number of hairs per graft for flutamide and finasteride groups were 1.22+/-0. 47 and 0.88+/-0.95 hairs/0.5 mm2 graft, respectively, versus 0. 35+/-0.6 hairs/graft for vehicle-treated graft. Similarly, hair lengths for flutamide and finasteride were 5.82+/-0.50 and 4.50+/-0. 32 mm, respectively, versus 2.83+/-0.18 mm for the vehicle-treated grafts. An in vitro diffusion study of flutamide gel using hairless mouse skin demonstrated the beneficial effect of the vehicle composition in comparison with a hydroalcoholic solution or a gel containing no penetration enhancer. It is therefore suggested that this topical composition containing flutamide or finasteride may effectively result in regression of male-pattern baldness.
authors.affiliation: Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, The Institutes for Applied Research, PO Box 653, Beer-Sheva, Israel. asintov@bgumail.bgu.ac.il
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sintov
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Serafimovich
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gilhar
mesh_terms: D000287:Administration, Topical; D000505:Alopecia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D000726:Androgen Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D000818:Animals; D018120:Finasteride / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005485:Flutamide / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D018859:Hair Follicle / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D016513:Mice, SCID; D012535:Scalp / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000637:transplantation; D012869:Skin Absorption; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous
chemical_list: D000726:Androgen Antagonists; D018120:Finasteride; D005485:Flutamide