Abstract
6-Gingerol is the major active constituent of ginger. In the current study, we aimed to investigate the mechanisms underlying the effects of 6-Gingerol on hair growth. Mice were randomly divided into five groups; after hair depilation (day 0), mice were treated with saline, or different concentrations of 6-Gingerol for 11 days. The histomorphological characteristics of the growing hair follicles were examined after hematoxylin and eosin staining. The results indicated that 6-Gingerol significantly suppressed hair growth compared with that in the control group. And choose the concentration of 6-Gingerol at 1 mg/mL to treated with mice. Moreover, 6-Gingerol (1 mg/mL) significantly reduced hair re-growth ratio, hair follicle number, and hair follicle length, which were associated with increased expression of MMP2 and MMP9. Furthermore, the growth factors, such as EGF, KGF, VEGF, IGF-1 and TGF-β participate in the hair follicle cycle regulation and regulate hair growth. We then measured the concentrations of them using ELISA assays, and the results showed that 6-Gingerol decreased EGF, KGF, VEGF, and IGF-1 concentrations, and increased TGF-β concentration. Thus, this study showed that 6-Gingerol might act as a hair growth suppressive drug via induction of MMP2 and MMP9 expression, which could interfere with the hair cycle.
Highlights
Hair loss, a common hair disorder resulting from dysregulation of the hair cycle, is characterized by a change in hair fiber production
In the current study, we investigated the effects of 6-Gingerol on hair growth and hair follicle health
MMP2 and MMP9 activities in cell culture supernatants were measured by zymography assays, and the results indicated that the activities of MMP2 and MMP9 were increased after treatment with 1 mg/mL 6-Gingerol on day 11 after depilation (Fig. 5c and 5d)
Summary
A common hair disorder resulting from dysregulation of the hair cycle, is characterized by a change in hair fiber production. Hair growth cycle is modulated by hair follicles, in which various growth factors, such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), epidermal growth factor (EGF), and keratinocyte growth factor (KGF/FGF7), are expressed (Bassino et al 2015, Jung et al 2015, Won et al 2015). An increasing number of studies have found that hair follicle will produce paracrine signals that stimulate or inhibit the growth of follicular epithelium when it is stimulated. Human hair follicles were shown to spontaneously secrete MMP2 and MMP9 in vitro. Hair follicle number and hair canal width decreased in MMP9-knockout mice, whereas increased activity of MMP9 contributed to hair bulb involution and remodeling both in vitro and in vivo. MMP2 has been shown to be involved in the hair cycle, and its expression is higher than that of MMP9; the exact role of MMP2 in hair growth cycle still needs further investigation (Miao et al 2013a)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
