Abstract
BackgroundThuja orientalis has been traditionally used to treat patients who suffer from baldness and hair loss in East Asia. The present study sought to investigate the hair growth-promoting activity of T. orientalis hot water extract and the underlying mechanism of action.MethodsAfter T. orientalis extract was topically applied to the shaved dorsal skin of telogenic C57BL/6 N mice, the histomorphometric analysis was employed to study induction of the hair follicle cycle. To determine the effect of T. orientalis extract on the telogen to anagen transition, the protein expression levels of β-catenin and Sonic hedgehog (Shh) in hair follicles were determined by immunohistochemistry.ResultsWe observed that T. orientalis extract promoted hair growth by inducing the anagen phase in telogenic C57BL/6 N mice. Specifically, the histomorphometric analysis data indicates that topical application of T. orientalis extract induced an earlier anagen phase and prolonged the mature anagen phase, in contrast to either the control or 1% minoxidil-treated group. We also observed increases in both the number and size of hair follicles of the T. orientalis extract-treated group. Moreover, the immunohistochemical analysis reveals earlier induction of β-catenin and Shh proteins in hair follicles of the T. orientalis extract-treated group, compared to the control or 1% minoxidil-treated group.ConclusionThese results suggest that T. orientalis extract promotes hair growth by inducing the anagen phase in resting hair follicles and might therefore be a potential hair growth-promoting agent.
Highlights
Thuja orientalis has been traditionally used to treat patients who suffer from baldness and hair loss in East Asia
Since the active growth of hair follicles and black pigmentation occur in C57BL/6 N mice during the anagen phase [14], the hair growth-promoting activity of T. orientalis extract was evaluated by observing the skin color
These results suggest that T. orientalis extract induces early telogen-to-anagen conversion of hair follicles
Summary
Thuja orientalis has been traditionally used to treat patients who suffer from baldness and hair loss in East Asia. Hair loss is an emotionally distressing disease in humans. It is known that diseases, nutritional deficiency, aging, hormone imbalance, and stress can cause hair loss in both men and women [1,2]. The number of patients suffering from hair loss or alopecia has increased dramatically [3]. The cyclical process of hair growth is divided into 3 following phases: anagen (growth phase), catagen (regression phase), and telogen (resting phase) [4]. Dysregulation of the hair growth cycle has been shown to be associated with the pathogenesis of certain conditions, for example, androgenetic alopecia. Two key regulators of hair follicle growth, Sonic hedgehog (Shh) and β-catenin, are known to be involved in the induction of the transition from telogen to anagen, and when the level of either protein is low, hair growth is severely damaged [5,6]
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