Physiopathology and current treatments of androgenetic alopecia: Going beyond androgens and anti-androgens.

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is the most diagnosed hair loss dysfunction. Its physiopathology comprises a genetic predisposition affording an exacerbated response of the hair follicles cells to androgens aggravated by scalp inflammation and extrinsic factors. This paper presents a review of the mechanisms and extrinsic factors involved in the AGA physiopathology as well as its conventional and emerging treatments. The research focused on reports regarding AGA physiopathology and treatments published between January 2001 and July 2019 in medical and related journals. The most used medical treatments for AGA-minoxidil and finasteride-present non satisfactory results in some cases. Currently, the low-level laser therapy is recognized as a safe and effective treatment for AGA. Some minimally invasive techniques-mesotherapy, microneedling, carboxytherapy, and platelet-rich plasma-are also used to stimulate hair growth. Pharmaceutical substances with mechanisms differing from the anti-androgen activity are under current investigation and many of them have botanical origins; however, formulations with higher performance are required, and the hair follicles ability of being a drug and nanoparticle reservoir has been researched. The association of different strategies, that is, substances with synergic mechanisms and the use of advantageous technologies associated with lifestyle changes could improve the treatment outcomes.

Prednisolone-loaded nanocapsules as ocular drug delivery system: development, in vitro drug release and eye toxicity.

OBJECTIVE: To develop non-toxic aqueous ocular drug delivery systems containing prednisolone by means of its nanoencapsulation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Nanocapsules were prepared by interfacial deposition of preformed polymer [poly(ε-caprolactone) or Eudragit® RS100]. Particle size distribution was determined by laser diffractometry, photon correlation spectroscopy and nanoparticle tracking analysis. Ocular irritation and cytotoxicity were evaluated in vitro on the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) and rabbit corneal epithelial cell line, respectively. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Nanocapsules showed mean particle sizes between 100 and 300 nm and prednisolone encapsulation efficiency of around 50%. Controlled release of prednisolone occurred for 5 h for both formulations according to the biexponential model. Both formulations were found to be non-irritant in the CAM test and non-cytotoxic toward rabbit corneal epithelial cells. CONCLUSIONS: Encapsulation of prednisolone in nanocapsules was reported for the first time, being suitable for producing eye drops for the treatment of ocular inflammatory and no eye toxicity was indicated.

Castor oil and mineral oil nanoemulsion: development and compatibility with a soft contact lens.

CONTEXT: The non-invasive ophthalmic therapy has a drawback: low residence time in the eye socket. Nanoparticles and contact lenses have been studied as promising ocular drug delivery systems. OBJECTIVE: To develop a nanoemulsion and evaluate its compatibility with a soft contact lens as a potential strategy for ocular delivery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The formulations were developed by spontaneous emulsification and fully characterized. Two drops of nanoemulsion were instilled on the surface of a commercial contact lens and its transparency was measured using a UV-Vis spectrophotometer. Before and after the instillation of the drops, the morphology (scanning electron microscopy - SEM) and ion permeability of the lenses were analyzed. RESULTS: The formulations had a mean particle size of 234 nm, polydispersity below 0.16, zeta potential of -8.56 ± 3.49 mV, slightly acid pH, viscosity ≈1.2 mPa s(-1) and spherical-shaped particles. Nanoemulsion was non-irritant (hen's egg test-chorioallantoic membrane), which was confirmed by the cytotoxicity studies in the SIRC cell cultures. After instillation, SEM analysis showed nanodroplets inside and on the surface of the lenses, although their transparency remained near 100%. No significant differences were found between lens ion permeability coefficients before and after instillation. CONCLUSIONS: Formulations presented appropriate physicochemical characteristics and suitability for ocular application. The contact lens remained transparent and ion-permeable after association with the formulation.

Three Cases of Hair Loss Analyzed by the Point of View of the Analytical Psychology.

Psychotrichology is the science, which covers the psychosomatics applied to hair problems, i.e., body-psyche phenomena involving scalp and hair disorders. The approaches involving psychotricology are varied and may include psychiatric,[1] psychoanalytical,[23] and those involving knowledge related to analytical psychology.[4] An analysis from the analytical psychology point of view, a theory developed by the physician Carl Gustav Jung, favors a symbolic view to the disease, providing it attributions and meanings that go beyond those related to physical body signs and symptoms only. This paper aims to describe and analyze, under the analytical psychology view, three cases the psychic and clinical demonstrations of which relate to symbolic and historic aspects concerning life of patients as possibilities of cause and maintenance of hair problems. The first of them is related to an 8-year-old girl who witnessed a scene of physical aggression by her father against her mother and developed a case of total alopecia. The second case is related to a 43-year-old woman who developed self-inflicted scalp dermatitis due to severe anxiety; and at last, the case of a telogen effluvium in a 23-year-old woman who developed hyperprolactinemia after the death of her mother, having to substitute her in the care about her husband and brothers. Looking at the clinical history and symbolic matters of scalp and hair diseases enabled, in the aforementioned cases, a better understanding of patients' psychoemotional disorders that may be related to the beginning and maintenance of clinical cases presented by them.

Combined effect of polymeric nanocapsules and chitosan hydrogel on the increase of capsaicinoids adhesion to the skin surface.

This work explored the effect of the encapsulation in polymeric nanocapsules, as well as of the incorporation of such nanoparticles in a chitosan hydrogel, on the skin adhesion and skin penetration/permeation of capsaicinoids (capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin), which are used as topical analgesic to treat chronic pain. The skin experiments were performed using a modified (drug adhesion and drug diffusion) and a normal Franz diffusion cell (drug diffusion) with porcine skin as membrane. The AUC0-h of the washability profile (% washed away vs. time) determined for the formulation combining both factors studied (chitosan hydrogel containing drug-loaded nanocapsules) was 198.88 +/- 10.05/153.53 +/- 5.99, for capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin respectively, significantly lower than the values observed for the chitosan hydrogel containing free drug (291.57 +/- 3.83/278.18 +/- 5.28) and for the hydroxyethyl cellulose containing drug-loaded nanocapsules (245.47 +/- 13.18/197.69 +/- 15.78). By adequate fitting to the monoexponential first order equation, the washing rate values indicated that the nanocapsules were more efficient in increasing the drugs skin adhesion than the chitosan gel. Regarding the skin penetration/permeation study, after washing the skin, the formulation which presented the lowest washing rate (chitosan gel containing nanocapsules) was the one which led to a higher amount of capsaicinoids in the skin layers (epidermis and dermis). Without washing the skin, the nanoencapsules caused retention of the drugs in the outer skin layer (epidermis). In conclusion, the skin adhesion of the nanocapsules and their capability of controlling the drug diffusion were shown. Combining chitosan gel to nanocapsules led to a formulation of great skin bioadhesion.