The hair growth promoting effect of Asiasari radix extract and its molecular regulation.
BACKGROUND
Hair loss is a distressing condition for an increasing number of men and women. It is of great importance; therefore, to develop new therapies for the treatment of hair loss.


OBJECTIVE
We examined the effects of 45 plant extracts that have been traditionally used for treating hair loss in oriental medicine in order to identify potential stimulants of hair growth.


METHODS
Six-week-old female C57BL/6 and C3H mice were used for evaluating the hair growth-promoting effects of the plant extracts. Topical application onto the backs of the C57BL/6 and C3H mice was performed daily for 30 days and 45 days, respectively. Protein synthesis was measured by the cysteine uptake assay, using cultured murine vibrissae follicles. Proliferation of the immortalized human keratinocyte cell line (HaCaT) and human dermal papilla (DP) cells was evaluated by the MTT and thymidine incorporation assays. The mRNA levels of several growth factors that have been implicated in hair growth control were measured by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).


RESULTS
Among the tested plant extracts, the extract of Asiasari radix showed the most potent hair growth stimulation in C57BL/6 and C3H mice experiments. In addition, this extract markedly increased the protein synthesis in vibrissae follicle cultures and the proliferation of both HaCaT and human DP cells in vitro. Moreover, the A. radix extract induced the expression of VEGF in human DP cells that were cultured in vitro.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that the A. radix extract has hair growth-promoting potential, and that this effect may be due to its regulatory effects on both cell growth and growth factor gene expression.
Rho
Seok-Seon
SS
Oriental Medical College of Daejeon University, 22-5 Daeheung-dong, Daejeon 301-724, South Korea. rssdr@hanmail.net
Park
Su-Jin
SJ
Hwang
Seong-Lok
SL
Lee
Min-Ho
MH
Kim
Chang Deok
CD
Lee
In-Ho
IH
Chang
Sug-Youn
SY
Rang
Moon-Jeong
MJ
D000505:Alopecia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000818:Animals; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002470:Cell Survival; D042944:Cholestenone 5 alpha-Reductase / Q000378:metabolism; D003545:Cysteine / Q000378:metabolism; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D006197:Hair / Q000187:drug effects*; D018859:Hair Follicle / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000494:pharmacology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts / Q000494:pharmacology; D013844:Thiazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D013936:Thymidine / Q000737:chemistry; D013997:Time Factors; D014738:Vibrissae / Q000187:drug effects*
D017931:DNA Primers; D010936:Plant Extracts; D028321:Plant Preparations; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; D013844:Thiazoles; D042944:Cholestenone 5 alpha-Reductase; C022616:thiazolyl blue; D003545:Cysteine; D013936:Thymidine