Immortalhair.org

Drop the poisons without losing your hair!

Research Archive (Chronologically)

See Natural Hair Regrowth Forum for the latest research

Dermal fibrosis in male pattern hair loss: a suggestive implication of mast cells.

Arch Dermatol Res. 2008 Mar;300(3):147-52.

Dihydrotestosterone inhibits murine hair growth via the androgen receptor.

Br J Dermatol. 2008 Jun 11.

Purinergic receptors are part of a signalling system for proliferation and differentiation in distinct cell lineages in human anagen hair follicles.


Purinergic Signal. 2008 May 27.

Hair growth promoting activity of Eclipta alba in male albino rats.


Arch Dermatol Res. 2008 May 14

Control of thrombin signaling through PI3K is a mechanism underlying plasticity between hair follicle dermal sheath and papilla cells.


J Cell Sci. 2008 Apr 8

Protective effects of taurine on human hair follicle grown in vitro


Int J Cosmet Sci. 2006 Aug;28(4):289-98

Stem cell factor/c-Kit signalling in normal and androgenetic alopecia hair follicles.

J Endocrinol. 2008 Apr;197(1):11-23.

The role of Smads in skin development.


J Invest Dermatol. 2008 Apr;128(4):783-90.

trans-3,4'-Dimethyl-3-hydroxyflavanone, a hair growth enhancing active component, decreases active transforming growth factor beta2 (TGF-beta2) through control of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) on the surface of keratinocytes.

Biol Pharm Bull. 2008 Mar;31(3):449-53.

Baldness and myocardial infarction in men: the atherosclerosis risk in communities study.

Am J Epidemiol. 2008 Mar 15;167(6):676-83.

Female pattern hair loss may be triggered by low oestrogen to androgen ratio.

Endocr Regul. 2008 Mar;42(1):13-6.


Expression of NAD(+) dependent 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase and protection of prostaglandins in human hair follicle.

Exp Dermatol. 2008 Mar 4

Effect of topical application of raspberry ketone on dermal production of insulin-like growth factor-I
in mice and on hair growth and skin elasticity in humans.


Growth Horm IGF Res. 2008 Mar 3

Differing responses of human follicular and nonfollicular scalp cells in an in vitro wound healing assay:
Effects of estrogen on vascular endothelial growth factor secretion.

Wound Repair Regen. 2008 Mar;16(2):243-253.

Epithelial fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 regulates enamel formation.

J Dent Res. 2008 Mar;87(3):238-43.


G protein-coupled receptor P2Y5 and its ligand LPA are involved in maintenance
of human hair growth.


Nat Genet. 2008 Feb 24

Dihydrotestosterone-inducible dickkopf 1 from balding dermal papilla cells causes apoptosis in follicular keratinocytes.

J Invest Dermatol. 2008 Feb;128(2):262-9.

BMP signaling in dermal papilla cells is required for their hair follicle-inductive properties.

Genes Dev. 2008 Feb 15;22(4):543-57.

Human hair follicles contain two forms of ATP-sensitive potassium channels, only one of which is sensitive to minoxidil.

FASEB J. 2008 Feb 7

Sustained epithelial {beta}-catenin activity induces precocious hair development but disrupts hair follicle down-growth and hair shaft formation.

Development. 2008 Feb 6

Different patterns of 5alpha-reductase expression, cellular distribution, and testosterone metabolism in human follicular dermal papilla cells.

Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2008 Feb 4

Functional role of beta1 integrin-mediated signaling in the human hair follicle.

Exp Cell Res. 2008 Feb 1;314(3):498-508.

Wnt-10b, uniquely among Wnts, promotes epithelial differentiation and shaft growth.

Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2008 Mar 7;367(2):299-304.

Melatonin and the hair follicle.

J Pineal Res. 2008 Jan;44(1):1-15.

Testosterone 5alpha-reductase inhibitory active constituents of Piper nigrum leaf.

Biol Pharm Bull. 2007 Dec;30(12):2402-5.


Proteasome inhibitors stimulate both bone formation and hair growth by similar mechanisms.

Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2007 Nov;1117:298-301.

Probing the effects of stress mediators on the human hair follicle: substance P holds central position.

Am J Pathol. 2007 Dec;171(6):1872-86.

Prostanoid receptors in anagen human hair follicles.

Exp Dermatol. 2008 Jan;17(1):63-72.

Premature Senescence of Balding Dermal Papilla Cells In Vitro Is Associated with p16(INK4a) Expression.

J Invest Dermatol. 2007 Nov 8

Interleukin-6 cytokine family member oncostatin M is a hair-follicle-expressed factor with hair growth inhibitory properties.

Exp Dermatol. 2008 Jan;17(1):12-9.


Repigmentation of gray hair after thyroid hormone treatment

Actas Dermosifiliogr. 2007 Nov;98(9):603-10.

Telomerase reverses epidermal hair follicle stem cell defects and loss of long-term survival associated with critically short telomeres.

J Cell Biol. 2007 Oct 22;179(2):277-90.


Thymosin beta 4 induces hair growth via stem cell migration and differentiation.

Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2007 Sep;1112:95-103


L-carnitine-L-tartrate promotes human hair growth in vitro.

Exp Dermatol. 2007 Nov;16(11):936-45.


Prostaglandin metabolism in human hair follicle.

Exp Dermatol. 2007 Sep;16(9):762-9.


Dihydrotestosterone-inducible dickkopf 1 from balding dermal papilla cells causes apoptosis in follicular keratinocytes.

J Invest Dermatol. 2008 Feb;128(2):262-9.

Transforming growth factor-beta receptor II is preferentially expressed in the companion layer of the human anagen hair follicle.

Br J Dermatol. 2007 Jul;157(1):161-4.

Administration of capsaicin and isoflavone promotes hair growth by increasing insulin-like growth factor-I production in mice and in humans with alopecia.

Growth Horm IGF Res. 2007 Oct;17(5):408-15.

Phospholipase A(2) and Phospholipase B activities in fungi.

Biochim Biophys Acta. 2006 Nov;1761(11):1391-9

Bone morphogenetic protein signaling regulates the size of hair follicles and modulates the expression of cell cycle-associated genes.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 Nov 28;103(48):18166-71.

Human hair growth deficiency is linked to a genetic defect in the phospholipase gene LIPH.

Science. 2006 Nov 10;314(5801):982-5.

Human hair growth enhancement in vitro by green tea epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG).

Phytomedicine. 2006 Nov 6

Keratinocyte growth factor protects epidermis and hair follicles from cell death induced by UV irradiation, chemotherapeutic or cytotoxic agents.

J Cell Sci. 2006 Dec 1;119(Pt 23):4841-9. Epub 2006 Nov 7

Prolactin delays hair regrowth in mice.

J Endocrinol. 2006 Nov;191(2):415-25.

The hair follicle as an estrogen target and source.

Endocr Rev. 2006 Oct;27(6):677-706.

Influence of interleukin-1alpha on androgen receptor expression and cytokine secretion by cultured human dermal papilla cells.

Exp Dermatol. 2006 Oct;15(10):784-93.

Finasteride induced depression: a prospective study.

October 2006 BMC Clinical Pharmacology 2006, 6:7

Nourkrin: objective and subjective effects and tolerability in persons with hair loss.

J Int Med Res. 2006 Sep-Oct;34(5):514-9.

Smad7-induced beta-catenin degradation alters epidermal appendage development.

Dev Cell. 2006 Sep;11(3):301-12.

Citrus polymethoxylated flavones improve lipid and glucose homeostasis and modulate adipocytokines in fructose-induced insulin resistant hamsters.

Life Sci. 2006 Jun 20;79(4):365-73.

The influence of maca (Lepidium meyenii) on antioxidant status, lipid and glucose metabolism in rat.

Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2007 Jun;62(2):59-63.


[2005]

Dose-response effects of phytoestrogens on the activity and expression of 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and aromatase in human granulosa-luteal cells.

J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2005 Aug;96(3-4):279-86.

Interferon-gamma is a potent inducer of catagen-like changes in cultured human anagen hair follicles.

Br J Dermatol. 2005 Apr;152(4):623-31.


[2004]

Caffeine induces sonic hedgehog gene expression in cultured astrocytes and neurons.

J Mol Neurosci. 2004;24(2):201-5.

Influence of alpha-lipoic acid on lipid peroxidation and antioxidant defence system in blood of insulin-resistant rats.

Diabetes Obes Metab. 2004 May;6(3):200-7.

Causes of hair loss and the developments in hair rejuvenation (Women need L-Lysine).

 Int J Cosmet Sci. 2002 Feb;24(1):17-23.

 

Below (not in chronological order)

Cancer Res. 2006 Jan 15;66(2):613-621.
Anticancer Res. 2003 Jan-Feb;23(1A):363-98.
J Altern Complement Med. 2003 Feb;9(1):161-8.
Anticancer Res. 2001 Jul-Aug;21(4B):2895-900.
Mechanisms of Ageing and Development, Volume 114, Issue 3, 14 April 2000, Pages 207-21
Tumori. 1987 Feb 28;73(1):29-31.
J Environ Pathol Toxicol Oncol. 2003;22(1):49-58.


Role of TGF-beta2 in the human hair cycle.

J. Dermatol Sci.
2004 Jun;35(1):9-18.

A potential suppressor of TGF-beta delays catagen progression in hair follicles.

J. Investig Dermatol Symp Proc.
2003 Jun;8(1):65-8.

Ellagic Acid, An Anti-oxidative suppressor of TFG-b prolongs anagen phase of murine hair follicles

AmorePacific R&D Center, Yongin-si, Korea

Stem cells in the skin: waste not, Wnt not

Vol. 17, No. 10, pp. 1189-1200, May 15, 2003

Role of androgen in mesenchymal epithelial interactions in human hair follicle.

J Investig Dermatol Symp Proc. 2005 Dec;10(3):209-11.

There are many more steroidogenic enzymes involved in the onset and development of AGA
The synthesis of testosterone in the gonads involve the four enzymes cytochrome P-450 side-chain cleavage enzyme, cytochrome P-450 17a-hydroxylase/lyase, 3b-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, and 17b-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase.

Dermatology. 2003;206(2):85-95.

Flavonoid inhibition of overexpressed human 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type II.

J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2004 Feb;88(2):175-82.

delta 5-3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity in sebaceous glands of scalp in male-pattern baldness.

J. Invest Dermatol 1988 Aug;91(2):101-5.

Steroidogenic enzymes in skin.

Eur. J Dermatol
2001 Jul-Aug;11(4):293-5.

Human hair follicles display a functional equivalent of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and synthesize cortisol.

FASEB J. 2005 Aug;19(10):1332-4. Epub 2005 Jun 9.

Hormonal profile of men with premature balding.

Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes 2004 Jan;112(1):24-8.

Hormonal profile in men with premature androgenic alopecia

Cb Lek. 2000;101(1):17-22.

Corticotropin-releasing hormone: An autocrine hormone that promotes lipogenesis in human sebocytes

PNAS | May 14, 2002 | vol. 99 | no. 10 | 7148-7153

Hormonal interaction and hair growth

Ann Dermatol Venereol 2002 May;129(5 Pt 2):787-92.

Treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. Results of a treatment study with the phytogenic combination of Sabal extract WS 1473 and Urtica extract WS 1031 in urologic specialty practices

Fortschr med. 1995 Jan 30;113(3):37-40.

Patients with a large prostate show a higher prevalence of androgenetic alopecia.

Journal of urology
005 Nov;174(5):1905.

Perception of Men with Androgenetic Alopecia by Women and Nonbalding Men

Irreversibility of hair follicle changes after 30 months of Androgenetic Alopecia.

The Hair-Growing Activity of Procyanidin Oligomers

Androgens in Human Hair Follicles

S. Itami. Osaka University School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.

Hormonal interaction and hair growth

Ann Dermatol Venereo 2002 May;129(5 Pt 2):787-92.l

Protection from chemotherapy-induced alopecia by docosahexaenoic acid.

Lipids 1999;34 Suppl:S105.

Inhibition of steroid 5 alpha-reductase by specific aliphatic unsaturated fatty acids.

Biochem J. 1992 July 15; 285(Pt 2): 557–562.

Androgen action: molecular mechanism and medical application.

J Formos Med Assocation 1994 Sep;93(9):741-51.

Growth suppression of hamster flank organs by topical application of gamma-linolenic and other fatty acid inhibitors of 5alpha-reductase.

J Invest Dermatol 1997 Aug;109(2):152-7.

Antioxidants and lipid peroxidation status in the blood of patients with alopecia.

Cell Biochem Funct.
2000 Sep;18(3):169-73.

Glutathione, glutathione S-transferase and reactive oxygen species of human scalp sebaceous glands in male pattern baldness.

J Invest Dermatol 1996 Aug;107(2):154-8.

Selective inhibition of steroid 5 alpha-reductase isozymes by tea epicatechin-3-gallate and epigallocatechin-3-gallate.

Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1995 Sep 25;214(3):833-8.

Orally Administered Green Tea Polyphenols Prevent Ultraviolet Radiation-Induced Skin Cancer in Mice through Activation of Cytotoxic T Cells and Inhibition of Angiogenesis in Tumors.

J Nutr 2005 Dec;135(12):2871-7

Tea polyphenol epigallocatechin 3-gallate impedes the anti-apoptotic effects of low-grade repetitive stress through inhibition of Akt and NFkappaB survival pathways.

FEBS Letter 2006 Jan 9;580(1):278-84.

Mechanisms of cancer prevention by tea polyphenols based on inhibition of TNF-alpha expression.

Biofactors 2000;13(1-4):67-72.

Opposing action of curcumin and green tea polyphenol in human keratinocytes.

Mol Nutr Food Res 2006 Jan 10

The effects of tea polyphenolic compounds on hair loss among rodents.

J Natl Med Assoc. 2005 Aug;97(8):1165-9.

Effect of Coapplication of Capsaicin and Minoxidil on the Murine Hair Growth

Won-Soo Lee, Hyung Jin Ahn, Young Hee Kim Department of Dermatology. Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju. Korea

Stress inhibits hair growth in mice by induction of premature catagen development and deleterious perifollicular inflammatory events via neuropeptide substance P-dependent pathways.

Am J Pathol 2003 Mar;162(3):803-14.

Synergistic Capsicum-tea mixtures with anticancer activity.

J Pharm Pharmacol 2003 Jul;55(7):987-94.

Anticancer activity of grape and grape skin extracts alone and combined with green tea infusions.

Cancer Lett. 2005 Aug 26

The effect of taurine and its derivatives on the hair follicle cell

Journal of Investigative Dermatology, Volume 121 Issue 2 Page 354  - August 2003
doi:10.1046/j.1523-1747.2003.12366.x


Taurine prevents fructose-diet induced collagen abnormalities

J Diabetes Complications
2005 Sep-Oct;19(5):305-11.

A Hot New Twist to Hair Biology  

American Journal of Pathology. 2005;166:985-998.

Androgen-inducible TGF-ß1 from balding dermal papilla cells inhibits epithelial cell growth: a clue to understand paradoxical effects of androgen on human hair growth

The FASEB Journal. 2002;16:1967-1969.

Glutathione, glutathione S-transferase and reactive oxygen species of human scalp sebaceous glands in male pattern baldness.

J. Invest Dermatol
1996 Aug;107(2):154-8.

Nitric oxide in the human hair follicle: constitutive and dihydrotestosterone-induced nitric oxide synthase expression and NO production in dermal papilla cells.

J Mol Med. 2003 Feb;81(2):110-7. Epub 2002 Dec 19.

A Significant Role of Aromatase Cytochrome P450 on Hair Re-growth and Pigmentation.

A. Ohuchi1, K. Ohguchi1, N. Tsuji1, S. Moriwaki1, Y. Takema1, S. Honda2, N. Harada2 Biological Science Laboratories, Kao Corp. Tochigi, Japan1 and Dept. of Bio-chemistry, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Aichi, Japan2

The Clinical Importance of the Metabolite Equol—A Clue to the Effectiveness of Soy and Its Isoflavones

J. Nutr. 132:3577-3584, December 2002

Equol Is a Novel Anti-Androgen that Inhibits Prostate Growth and Hormone Feedback

BIOLOGY OF REPRODUCTION 70, 1188–1195 (2004)
DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.103.023713

Equol Is a Novel Anti-Androgen that Inhibits Prostate Growth and Hormone Feedback

Biol Reprod. 2004 Apr;70(4):1188-95. Epub 2003 Dec 17.

S-Equol, a potent ligand for estrogen receptor ß, is the exclusive enantiomeric form of the soy isoflavone metabolite produced by human intestinal bacterial flora

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 81, No. 5, 1072-1079, May 2005

Humans have acquired an ability to exclusively synthesize S-equol from daidzein, and it is significant that, unlike R-equol, the S enantiomer has a relatively high affinity for estrogen receptor beta. A newly isolated rod-shaped, gram-negative anaerobic bacterium from human feces, named Julong 732, was found to be capable of metabolizing the isoflavone dihydrodaidzein to S-equol under anaerobic conditions.

Higher consumption of green tea may enhance equol production.

Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2003 Aug-Dec;4(4):297-301.

Long-Term Dietary Habits Affect Soy Isoflavone Metabolism and Accumulation in Prostatic Fluid in Caucasian Men:  Meat consumption coupled with Daidzein (isoflavone) intake increases probability of Equol production.

J. Nutr. 135:1400-1406, June 2005


The Molecular Basis of Tooth Development and Its Implications in Signaling Systems in Hair Development

Ichiro Satokata Div. of Developmental Biology, Dept. of Oral Biological Science, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan

Study points to insulin resistance in AGA hair loss. As if the stress (ACTH) were not enough, here's more proof that impaired blood sugar metabolism can exacerbate hair loss.

Med Hypotheses. 2002 Apr;58(4):261-3.

Neuroimmunoendocrine circuitry of the 'brain-skin connection'.

Trends Immunol 2006 Jan;27(1):32-9.

Regulation of PDGF and PDGF receptor in cultured dermal papilla cells and follicular keratinocytes of the human hair follicle.

Exp Dermatol. 2003 Oct;12(5):662-72.


Early androgenetic alopecia as a marker of insulin resistance.

Lancet. 2000 Sep 30;356(9236):1165-6.

The expression of insulin-like growth factor 1 in follicular dermal papillae correlates with therapeutic efficacy of finasteride in androgenetic alopecia.

J Am Adac Dermatol
2003 Aug;49(2):229-33.

Circulating insulin-like growth factors in patients infected with Helicobacter pylori.

Clin. Biochem
2004 Nov;37(11):997-1001.

High glycemic index carbohydrate mediates an acute proinflammatory process as measured by NF-kappaB activation.

Asia Pac J Clin Nutr.
2005;14 Suppl:S120.

Nutrition-endocrine interactions: induction of reciprocal changes in the delta 4-5 alpha-reduction of testosterone and the cytochrome P-450-dependent oxidation of estradiol by dietary macronutrients in man.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1983 December; 80(24): 7646–7649.

(IGF-1) and androgens, while simultaneously reducing insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG).

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology 2003 Sep;136(1):95-112.

Sex hormone-binding globulin and saliva testosterone levels in men with androgenetic alopecia.

Br J Dermatol 1983 Sep;109(3):249-52.

What may be the markers of the male equivalent of polycystic ovary syndrome?

Physiol Res. 2004;53(3):287-94.

An adjunctive preventive treatment for heart disease and a set of diagnostic tests to detect it: Insulin-like growth factor-1 deficiency and cell membrane pathology are an inevitable cause of heart disease.

Med Hypotheses 2006 Jan 9

Acne vulgaris: a disease of Western civilization.

Arch Dermatol 2002 Dec;138(12):1584-90.

Early Onset Baldness and Prostate Cancer Risk

http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/cgi/content/full/9/3/325

Vertex Balding Associated with Prostate Cancer: Findings from an Australian Case-Control Study

Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention Vol. 11, 549-553, June 2002

Inhibition of 5 alpha-reductase in genital skin fibroblasts and prostate tissue by dietary lignans and isoflavonoids

Journal of Endocrinology, Vol 147, Issue 2, 295-302
Copyright © 1995 by Society for Endocrinology


Effect of dietary components, including lignans and phytoestrogens, on enterohepatic circulation and liver metabolism of estrogens and on sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG).

J Steroid Biochem 1987;27(4-6):1135-44.

Mammalian lignan production from various foods.

Nutr Cancer. 1991;16(1):43-52.

Whole sesame seed is as rich a source of mammalian lignan precursors as whole flaxseed.

Nutr Cancer. 2005;52(2):156-65.

Urinary steroid measurements in some endocrine and psychiatric diseases.

Curr Med Chem. 2005;12(11):1339-42.

Use of emu oil for stimulating skin and hair growth

United States Patent:  5,958,384   Holick,  September 28, 1999

Analysis of apoptotic cell death in human hair follicles in vivo and in vitro.

J. Invest Dermatol
1998 Dec;111(6):948-54.

Polysaccharide purified from Ganoderma lucidum inhibits spontaneous and Fas-mediated apoptosis in human neutrophils through activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase/Akt signaling pathway.

J Leukoc Biol. 2002 Jul;72(1):207-16.

Isolation of soluble yeast beta-glucans that inhibit human monocyte phagocytosis mediated by beta-glucan receptors

The Journal of Immunology, Vol 137, Issue 10 3270-3276, Copyright © 1986 by American Association of Immunologists

Polymethoxylated flavones (PMFs) from citrus inhibit production of TNF-alpha and other pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Food Chem Toxicol 2001 Nov;39(11):1087-94.

Estrogens and the hair follicle.

J Dtsch Dermatol Ges. 2004 Jun;2(6):412-23.

Equol-Producing Bacteria and Estrogen Metabolism

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to determine the effectiveness of botanically derived inhibitors of 5-alpha-reductase in the treatment of androgenetic alopecia.

J Altern Complement Med. 2002 Apr;8(2):143-52.

Identification of clustered cells in human hair follicle responsible for MMP-9 gelatinolytic activity: consequences for the regulation of hair growth.

Int J Dermatol. 2001 Jun;40(6):385-92.

Human Scalp Dermal Papilla and Fibrous Sheath Cells have a different expression profile of Matrix Metalloproteinases in vitro when compared to Scalp Dermal Fibroblasts.

Arch Dermatol Res. 2005 Sep;297(3):121-126.

Anti-inflammatory and antipyretic activities of beta-sitosterol.

Planta Med. 1980 Jun;39(2):157-63.

Taraxasterol and beta-sitosterol: new naturally compounds with chemoprotective/chemopreventive effects.

Neoplasma 2004;51(6):407-14.

Effect of beta-sitosterol as inhibitor of 5 alpha-reductase in hamster prostate.

Proc West Pharmacol Soc. 2003;46:153-5.

ß-Sitosterol, ß-Sitosterol Glucoside, and a Mixture of ß-Sitosterol and ß-Sitosterol Glucoside Modulate the Growth of Estrogen-Responsive Breast Cancer Cells In Vitro and in Ovariectomized Athymic Mice

American Society for Nutritional Sciences J. Nutr. 134:1145-1151, May 2004

The Importance of Sitosterol and Sitosterolin
in human and animal nutrition

Department of Chemistry and Applied Chemistry of Natal, Durban, 4041 South Africa
Published in the South African Journal of Science Vol 93 June 1997


New aspects in rheumatism therapy. Experiences with a sitosterin preparation in chronic polyarthritis

Med. Welt. 1981 Jan 23;32(4):135-8.

Plant-Based Fat Inhibits Cancer-Cell Growth By Enhancing Cell's Signaling System, UB Researchers Show

University of Buffalo 1998-10-26

Comparison of intestinal absorption of cholesterol with different plant sterols in man.

Eur J. Clin Invest 1993 Dec;23(12):827-31.

Anti-inflammatory and immunomodulating properties of a sterol fraction from Sideritis foetens Clem.

Biol Pharm Bull 2001 May; 24(5): 470-3.  Navarro A, De las Heras B, Villar A.

Beta-Sitosterol, an Explanation of Benefits, Including Anti-Inflammatory Activity

Early Onset Baldness and Prostate Cancer Risk

Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention Vol. 9, 325-328, March 2000

Age-associated deficit of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation in skeletal muscle: Role of carnitine and lipoic acid.

Mol Cell Biochem 2005 Dec;280(1-2):83-9.

Inhibition of gelatinase B (matrix metalloproteinase-9) by dihydrolipoic acid.

Can J Physiol Pharmacol. 2005 Mar;83(3):301-8.


Differential activity of lipoic Acid enantiomers in cell culture.

J Herb Pharmacopher 2005;5(3):43-54.

Flaxseed supplementation significantly increased urinary 2-hydroxyestrone secretion

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 79, No. 2, 318-325, February 2004

Intestinal Bacterial Communities That Produce Active Estrogen-Like Compounds Enterodiol and Enterolactone in Humans

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, October 2005, p. 6077-6085, Vol. 71, No. 10

Phylogeny of human intestinal bacteria that activate the dietary lignan secoisolariciresinol diglucoside.

FEMS Microbiol Ecol. 2006 Mar;55(3):471-8.

Polymorphisms in the CYP19 gene may affect the positive correlations between serum and urine phytoestrogen metabolites and plasma androgen concentrations in men.

J Nutr 2005 Nov;135(11):2680-6.

Oxidative stress as a mechanism of diabetes in diabetic BB prone rats: effect of secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG).

Mol Cell Biochem 2000 Jun;209(1-2):89-96.

Secoisolariciresinol diglucoside from flaxseed delays the development of type 2 diabetes in Zucker rat.

J. Lab Clin Med 2001 Jul;138(1):32-9.

The Effect of Flax Seed Cultivars with Differing Content of Alpha Linolenic Acid and Lignans on Responses to Mental Stress

Journal of the American College of Nutrition, Vol. 22, No. 6, 494-501 (2003)

Pharmacokinetics of Enterolignans in Healthy Men and Women Consuming a Single Dose of Secoisolariciresinol Diglucoside

American Society for Nutritional Sciences J. Nutr. 135:795-801, April 2005

The Relative Bioavailability of Enterolignans in Humans Is Enhanced by Milling and Crushing of Flaxseed

American Society for Nutritional Sciences J. Nutr. 135:2812-2816, December 2005

Studies on the metabolism of the plant lignans secoisolariciresinol and matairesinol.

J. Agric Food Chem 2003 Oct 8;51(21):6317-25

Antioxidant activity of the flaxseed lignan secoisolariciresinol diglycoside and its mammalian lignan metabolites enterodiol and enterolactone.

Mol Cell Biochem
1999 Dec;202(1-2):91-100.

Mammalian lignans and genistein decrease the activities of aromatase and 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase in MCF-7 cells.

J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2005 Apr;94(5):461-7. Epub 2005 Mar 16.

Androgenetic alopecia in women and Coronary Heart Disease in Women

http://dermatology.cdlib.org/113/original/androgenetic/mortazavi.html

Androgenetic alopecia in women.

J Investig Dermatol Symp Proc. 2003 Jun;8(1):24-7.

Different levels of 5alpha-reductase type I and II, aromatase, and androgen receptor in hair follicles of women and men with androgenetic alopecia.

J. Invest Dermatol 1997 Sep;109(3):296-300.

Current understanding of androgenetic alopecia. Part I: etiopathogenesis

Eur J. Dermatol 2000 Jun;10(4):319-27.

Different gene expression profile observed in dermal papilla cells related to androgenic alopecia by DNA macroarray analysis.

J. Dermatol Sci.
2004 Oct;36(1):25-32.

The relation of smoking, age, relative weight, and dietary intake to serum adrenal steroids, sex hormones, and sex hormone-binding globulin in middle-aged men.

J. Endocrinol Metab. 1994 Nov;79(5):1310-6.

Cigarette smoking is associated with elevated adrenal androgen response to adrenocorticotropin.

J. Steriod Biochem Mol Biol
1993 Aug;46(2):245-51.

Carnosine and carnosine-related antioxidants: a review.

Curr Med. Chem. 2005;12(20):2293-315.

The effect of finasteride on the prostate gland in men with elevated serum prostate-specific antigen levels.

British Journal of Cancer, 78 (3) August 1998.

CD200, a "no danger" signal for hair follicles.

J Dermatol Sci. 2005 Dec 28

Photochemopreventive Effect of Pomegranate Fruit Extract on UVA-mediated Activation of Cellular Pathways in Normal Human Epidermal Keratinocytes.

Photochem Photobiol June 2005

Pomegranate as a cosmeceutical source: Pomegranate fractions promote proliferation and procollagen synthesis and inhibit matrix metalloproteinase-1 production in human skin cells.

J Ethnopharmacol 2005 Oct 8

Pomegranate juice reduces oxidized low-density lipoprotein downregulation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase in human coronary endothelial cells

Nitric Oxide 2006 Jan 11

Pomegranate flower extract diminishes cardiac fibrosis in Zucker diabetic fatty rats: modulation of cardiac endothelin-1 and nuclear factor-kappaB pathways.

J Cardiovasc Pharmacol 2005 Dec;46(6):856-62.

Development and progression of alopecia in the vitamin D receptor null mouse.

J. Cell Physiol 2006 Jan 17

Prevention of bone loss by phloridzin, an apple polyphenol, in ovariectomized rats under inflammation conditions.

Calcif Tissue Int. 2005 Nov;77(5):311-8.

Investigation of the topical application of procyanidin oligomers. from apples to identify their potential use as a hair-growing agent.

http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1473-2165.2005.00199.x

BMP signaling in the control of skin development and hair follicle growth.

Differentiation 2004 Dec;72(9-10):512-26.

5alpha-reductase 2 inhibition impairs brain defeminization of male rats: reproductive aspects.

Pharmacol Biochem Behave 2005 Sep;82(1):228-35.

Terminalia arjuna (Roxb.) protects rabbit heart against ischemic-reperfusion injury: role of antioxidant enzymes and heat shock protein.

J Enthopharmacol 2005 Jan 15;96(3):403-9. Epub 2004 Nov 21.

Aminophospholipid glycation and its inhibitor screening system: A new role of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate and pyridoxal as lipid glycation inhibitor.

J. Lipid Res.
2006 Feb 9

The hair growth promoting effect of ascorbic acid 2-phosphate, a long-acting Vitamin C derivative.

J. Dermatol Sci. 2006 Feb;41(2):150-2. Epub 2006 Jan 9.

Human Scalp Hair Follicles Are Both a Target and a Source of Prolactin, which Serves as an Autocrine and/or Paracrine Promoter of Apoptosis-Driven Hair Follicle Regression

American Journal of Pathology. 2006;168:748-756.

The effects of a special Agnus castus extract (BP1095E1) on prolactin secretion in healthy male subjects.

Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes 1996;104(6):447-53.

Benfotiamine prevents the vascular accumulation of advanced glycation end products and the induction of pro-apoptotic caspase-3

Diabetologia 2006 Feb;49(2):405-20. Epub 2006 Jan 17.

Increased circulating levels of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9 in women with the polycystic ovary syndrome.

J. Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2006 Mar;91(3):1173-7. Epub 2005 Dec 6.

Premature androgenic alopecia and insulin resistance. Male equivalent of polycystic ovary syndrome?

Endocr Regul. 2005 Dec;39(4):127-31.

Inhibitory autocrine factors produced by the mesenchyme-derived hair follicle dermal papilla may be a key to male pattern baldness.

Br J. Dermatol 2006 Apr;154(4):609-18.

Biological characterization of cultured dermal papilla cells and hair follicle regeneration in vitro and in vivo.

Chinese Medical Journal, 2006, Vol. 119 No. 4 : 275-281

Induction of versican by ascorbic acid 2-phosphate in dermal papilla cells.

J Dermatol Sci. 2006 Apr 4

Focus on prolactin as a metabolic hormone.

Trends Endocrinol Metab. 2006 Apr;17(3):110-6

Epithelial-mesenchymal interaction and hair cycling

Shiseido Life Science Research Center, MGH/Harvard Cutaneous Biology Research Center


PDGF isoforms induce and maintain anagen phase of murine hair follicles.

J Dermatol Sci. 2006 May 22

Fibroblast growth factor 5 inhibits hair growth by blocking dermal papilla cell activation.

Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2002 Jan 11;290(1):169-76.


Exploring link between Estrogen and hair growth

Dermatology Times 2003

Suppression of Estrogen Biosynthesis by Procyanidin Dimers in Red Wine and Grape Seeds

Cancer Research 63, 8516-8522, December 1, 2003

Pathomechanism of androgenetic alopecia and new treatment

Nippon Ronen Igakkai Zasshi. 2004 Nov;41(6):598-600.


Interleukin-1beta is differentially expressed by human dermal papilla cells in response to PKC activation and is a potent inhibitor of human hair follicle growth in organ culture.

J Interferon Cytokine Res. 1997 Mar;17(3):151-7.

Hormone studies in females with androgenic hairloss.

Gynecol Obstet Invest. 1991;31(4):235-9.


P35 HAIR CARE FORMULATIONS CONTAINING CARNITINE DERIVATIVES ACTIVATE CELLULAR ENERGY METABOLISM AND BOOST THE ATP CONTENT IN HUMAN HAIR FOLLICLES

Hair Loss Research Society 2005

Researchers Indentify Signals that Cause Hair Follicles to Sprout

Howard Hughes Medical Institute March 20th, 2003

In vitro assays for bioactivity-guided isolation of endocrine active compounds in Vitex agnus-castus.

Maturitas. 2006 Aug 21

A hot new twist to hair biology: involvement of vanilloid receptor-1 (VR1/TRPV1) signaling in human hair growth control.

Am J Pathol. 2005 Apr;166(4):985-98.

Stress Inhibits Hair Growth in Mice by Induction of Premature Catagen Development and Deleterious Perifollicular Inflammatory Events via Neuropeptide Substance P-Dependent Pathways.

American Journal of Pathology. 2003;162:803-814

p53 Involvement in the Control of Murine Hair Follicle Regression

American Journal of Pathology. 2001;158:1913-1919.

Stress and the Hair Follicle

American Journal of Pathology. 2003;162:709-712.

Prolactin and Its Receptor Are Expressed in Murine Hair Follicle Epithelium, Show Hair Cycle-Dependent Expression, and Induce Catagen

American Journal of Pathology. 2003;162:1611-1621.

Cyclosporin A-induced hair growth in mice is associated with inhibition of calcineurin-dependent activation of NFAT in follicular keratinocytes

Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 284: C1593-C1603, 2003; doi:10.1152/ajpcell.00537.2002

Neurogenic Inflammation in Stress-Induced Termination of Murine Hair Growth Is Promoted by Nerve Growth Factor

American Journal of Pathology. 2004;165:259-271.

Hair growth inhibition by psychoemotional stress: a mouse model for neural mechanisms in hair growth control.

Exp Dermatol. 2006 Jan;15(1):1-13.

Control of human hair growth by neurotrophins: brain-derived neurotrophic factor inhibits hair shaft elongation, induces catagen, and stimulates follicular transforming growth factor beta2 expression.

J Invest Dermatol. 2005 Apr;124(4):675-85.

Circulating MMP9, vitamin D and variation in the TIMP-1 response with VDR genotype: mechanisms for inflammatory damage in chronic disorders?

Q J Med 2002; 95: 787-796


The most important study on hair loss listed to date:

Androgenetic alopecia and microinflammation

Yann F. Mahé,PhD, Jean-François Michelet,MSc, Nelly Billoni, MSc, Françoise Jarrousse, BTS , Bruno Buan, BTS , Stephane Commo, BTS, Didier Saint-Léger,PhD and Bruno A. Bernard,PhD

International Journal of Dermatology
Volume 39 Issue 8 Page 576  - August 2000


Today, androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is considered to be an alteration of hair growth and/or a premature aging of the pilosebaceous unit with a multifactorial and even polygenic etiology. 1 The fact that the success rate of treatment with either antihypertensive agents, or modulators of androgen metabolism, barely exceeds 30% means that other pathways may be envisioned. The implication of various activators of inflammation in the etiology of AGA has progressively and recently emerged from several independent studies. 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11 A fibroplasia of the dermal sheath, which surrounds the hair follicle, is now suspected to be a common terminal process resulting in the miniaturization and involution of the pilosebaceous unit in AGA. 2 8 We review here several observations underlining the possible implication of a slow, silent, and painless process in AGA. Because we think that it should not be confused with a classical inflammatory process, we have called it microinflammation. An early study referred to an inflammatory infiltrate of mononuclear cells and lymphocytes in about 50% of the scalp samples studied. 2 Another more recent study by Jaworsky et al . 3 confirmed an inflammatory infiltrate of activated T cells and macrophages in the upper third of the hair follicles from transitional regions of alopecia (i.e. which are characterized by actively progressing alopecia). This study also reported the occurrence of a developing fibrosis of the perifollicular sheath, together with the degranulation of follicular adventitial mast cells. The miniaturization of the hair follicles was found to be associated with a deposit of so-called "collagen or connective tissue streamers" beneath the follicle, 2,7 as well as a 2 2.5 times enlargement of the follicular dermal sheath composed of densely packed collagen bundles. 3 This thickening of the dermal sheath in progression zones of AGA has also recently been observed in our laboratory using immunohistochemical staining ( Fig. 1 ).

Horizontal section studies of scalp biopsies indicate that the so-called perifollicular fibrosis is generally mild, consisting of loose, concentric layers of fibrotic collagen that must be distinguished from cicatricial alopecia. 4 It is unclear whether or not the fibrosis seen in follicular streamers (stelae or fibrous tracts) is permanent and/or alters the downgrowth of anagen hair follicles. Only 55% of male pattern AGA patients with microinflammation had hair regrowth in response to minoxidil treatment, which was less than the 77% of patients with no signs of inflammation, 4 suggesting that, to some extent, perifollicular microinflammation may account for some cases of male pattern AGA which do not respond to minoxidil. 4 Another study on 412 patients (193 men and 219 women) confirmed the presence of a significant degree of inflammation and fibrosis in at least 37% of AGA cases. 5 The upper location of the infiltrate near the infrainfundibulum 2 7 clearly distinguishes AGA from alopecia areata (AA), the latter disease being characterized by infiltrates in the bulb and dermal papilla zone. 12

The aim of this review is to determine the location and chronology of the microinflammation process within the complex pathophysiology of the human pilosebaceous unit in order to improve the possible approaches for the reduction or prevention of the development of AGA.

Classically, an inflammatory process is ascribed to a central major mediator or pathway. Such a monofactorial vision has been historically well exemplified by the famous interleukin-1 (IL-1) scheme developed by Oppenheim et al . 13 which is still valid even after 13 years. In fact, many inflammatory agents are at the center of a huge array of effects, involving cells, enzymes, adhesion molecules and other biological mechanisms. The identification of the effects of isolated factors is only part of the problem; it may be more important to determine when and where the individual factors are involved in the complex sequence. This pathway has been clearly identified, and several inhibitory anti-inflammatory drugs acting on this aspect of inflammation have been developed and clinically evaluated. 14,15 , 16,17

The cytokine/chemokine side of microinflammation

Why does microinflammation take place in the pilosebaceous unit and for what benefit and purpose? Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 show, in a simplified sequence, that inflammation is a multistep process which may start from a primary event. Let us look at the clues at the "crime scene" of AGA: we observe a perifollicular infiltrate in the upper follicle near the infundibulum. 2 7 This suggests that the primary causal event for the triggering of inflammation might occur near the infundibulum. 3,7 Supporting this point of view, improvement of the inflammatory aspect of AGA has been reported in a pilot study with an antimicrobial lotion. 7 One could speculate that several inhabitants of the scalp, such as the "triad" ( Propionibacterium sp.; Staphylococcus sp.; Malassezia ovalis ) or other members of the transient flora, could be involved in this complex inflammatory process. 7 The presence of porphyrins (produced by Propionibacterium sp.) in the pilosebaceous duct of 58% of AGA patients (compared with 12% of control subjects), which are able to induce the production of complement (C5) chemotactic factor, is considered to be a possible cofactor of this initial pro-inflammatory stress. 6,7 Keratinocytes are also known to respond within minutes to chemical stress, pollutants, UV irradiation or even mechanical stress. 37 Not only are radical oxygen species, 38 NO, 39 PGs, and histamine 40 produced, but also intracellularly stored IL-1 is released 37,41 (see Fig. 2 and step 1 of Fig. 3 ). By itself, this pro-inflammatory cytokine (as well as IL-1 which binds to the same receptor) is able to inhibit the growth of isolated hair follicles in culture in vitro. 9 11 This concentration-dependent inhibition of human hair elongation and survival indicates a high sensitivity to IL-1 of the isolated organ in culture in vitro (IC 50 = 10 pg/mL 11 ). In vivo , transgenic mice which overexpress IL-1  in the basal epidermis and in the outer root sheath of their pelage hair follicles exhibit a spontaneous cutaneous phenotype characterized by a sparseness of hair. 42 As a response to an IL-1 signal, adjacent keratinocytes which express receptors for IL-1 start to engage the transcription of IL-1 responsive genes 41 ( Fig. 3 , step 2). In vitro , following IL-1 stimulation, this transcriptional activation cascade is induced within 6 h in plucked human hair follicles. 11

Alternatively, skin keratinocytes, which may also have antigen presenting capabilities, could theoretically induce T-cell proliferation in response to bacterial antigens. 51 These antigens, once they have been "tagged," are then selectively destroyed by infiltrating macrophages, Langerhans cells, or natural killer cells. 50,52 On many occasions, however, the causal agent persists, resulting in sustained inflammation ( Fig. 3, step 4). This corresponds partly to the situation which has been pictured in the progression zone of roughly one-third of alopecia cases: infiltrating T lymphocytes, together with mastocytes and macrophages, located in the upper perifollicular adventitial dermal sheath perpetuate a local inflammatory stage. 27 This phase of inflammation often results in tissue remodeling, where collagenases, such as matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 (transcriptionally activated by pro-inflammatory cytokines) or MMP-8 (directly produced by infiltrating cells), may play an active role. 5355 Thus, collagenases are suspected to contribute to the tissue changes and the so-called "perifollicular fibrosis" by "preparing" tissue matrix and basal membranes for macrophages and T-cell adhesion. Accordingly, this scenario facilitates the secretion of membrane-anchored cytokines, such as TNF-. 55 Other factors, such as MCP-1, have been directly suspected to contribute to organ fibrosis in an experimental model of renal inflammation. 56 As MCP-1, together with other chemokines, was found to be expressed in human hair follicles in vitro, 11 as well as in the eccrine ducts of sebaceous glands in vivo, 57 it might also be actively involved in the progression of perifollicular fibrosis detected in AGA. 26 The development of perifollicular fibrosis might thus appear as the signature of a disequilibrium between pro-and anti-inflammatory pathways.

Relations between inflammation and steroidogenesis: the missing link

There is no question that androgens are major modulators of hair loss. Recently, it was shown that testosterone inhibited the growth of outer root sheath keratinocytes only when they were cocultured with dermal papilla cells derived from the bald scalp of an adult macaque, 58 reinforcing the hypothesis of an androgen influence on hair growth via the dermal papilla. 59 The potent metabolite of testosterone (i.e. 5-dihydrotestosterone, 5-DHT) is considered as a "culprit". 60 5-DHT is generated from testosterone through the activity of 5-reductase (5-R). Two active isoforms of 5-R, which differ both in tissue site distribution as well as in optimal pH for enzymatic activity, have been identified and cloned. 61,62, 63 While the type II isoform is considered to be the major isozyme in genital tissues, 61 the type I isoform is considered to be the major isoform expressed in skin and in the pilosebaceous unit. 64,65 Isoform II, however, has recently been detected in the inner root sheath of the pilosebaceous unit by immunohistochemistry, 66,67 Northern blotting, 67 and the pH dependence of optimal enzymatic activity. 67 Thus, the contribution of both isoforms in the regression of the pilosebaceous unit is still a matter of debate. Recently, a clinical study using finasteride, a strong inhibitor of 5-RII (and weak inhibitor of 5-RI), showed that intervention in androgen metabolism could, to some extent, modulate the progression of AGA, when the drug was given by the oral route, 68 but not topically. 69 After oral ingestion, an improvement of hair growth was observed, which was associated with a drastic reduction of serum levels of 5-DHT, corresponding to those observed in castrates. 68 Despite such a reduction of circulating 5-DHT levels, however, a number of individuals (60-70%) still remained unresponsive to this treatment, indicating again that simple dysregulation of 5-DHT synthesis levels or a genetic polymorphism of 5-R genes cannot account for all cases of AGA, and a polygenic etiology should be considered. 1

Thus, to date, the only evident link that can be established between androgen metabolism and the complex inflammatory process is sebum production which is controlled by androgens. 70 As sebum harbors a large amount of microorganisms which use lipids as nutrients, 8 it cannot be excluded that, at least for some individuals, androgen metabolism might facilitate the colonization of the sebaceous infundibulum and sebaceous ducts by such microorganisms which may be involved in the first steps of pilosebaceous unit inflammation.

We propose here working hypotheses which do not invalidate the contribution of a hereditary genetic androgen imbalance in AGA, 60 but rather attempt to integrate the neglected microinflammatory aspects of alopecia into the complex etiology of AGA. On the one hand, excessive local and/or endocrine, genetically exacerbated 5-DHT synthesis results in sebaceous gland enlargement; 2,60 as a consequence, some scalps might offer more comfortable niches to harbor the previously mentioned pro-inflammatory microorganisms. 6,7 On the other hand, androgen imbalance and metabolism may be locally exacerbated by pro-inflammatory cytokines. For example, gingival fibroblasts have been reported to modify their androgen metabolism through the action of several growth factors, such as epidermal growth factor (EGF), transforming growth factor beta (TGF-), and the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1 and TNF-. 71 Therefore, one could speculate that, once the inflammatory process has been triggered, the androgenetic mechanism of alopecia could subsequently be locally amplified. This upregulation of androgen metabolism by pro-inflammatory cytokines remains, however, to be established at the pilosebaceous unit level.

Our visit to the "crime scene" of AGA yielded many clues ( Fig. 4 ). We know now that, at least in about one-third of cases, the tool which causes the lethal damage is a microinflammatory process. Several factors are present, however, which are suspected to have handled the tool: androgens, microbial flora, endogenous or exogenous stress, genetic imbalance, and possibly others. Although other suspects or tools are likely to be discovered in the future, it cannot be excluded that, for each individual, the causal agent, as well as the sequence of events or combined factors, may be different. The large number of molecules claimed to be active and patented in this field, 89 and their limited efficacy in offering a definite and extensive cure of AGA, confirm that the mechanism of AGA is highly complex. Accordingly, it appears that, due to the complexity and multiple interactivities and cooperations involved throughout the distinct inflammatory pathways (partly described in Fig. 2 ), an anti-inflammatory strategy should be targeted to the appropriate effector(s) at the right moment. For this purpose, we have developed a simple assay to evaluate individuals with potentially affected hair follicles. 11 We observed that plucked hair specimens of 33% of the 116 volunteers evaluated could be classified as highly inflammatory in terms of spontaneous IL-1 production. 11 Consequently, the identification of the "inflammatory alopecic individuals" may help to adapt the right answer to the right cause. Such a selective approach might be valuable for other parameters, such as an imbalance in 11 HSD activity, 5-DHT synthesis, or microorganism colonization. Encompassing individual diversity is thus a prerequisite for appropriately addressing the biological conditions contributing to AGA. Our findings and a review of the literature suggest that inflammation in its diversity is a potentially active player to consider in this approach.