RESUMO
OBJECTIVES: The hair follicle is composed of more than 20 kinds of cells, and mesoderm derived dermal papilla cells and keratinocytes cooperatively contribute hair growth via Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway. We are to investigate ß-catenin expression and regulatory mechanism by CBD in alopecia hair tissues and dermal papilla cells. METHODS: We performed structural and anatomical analyses on alopecia patients derived hair tissues using microscopes. Pharmacological effect of CBD was evaluated by ß-catenin expression using RT-PCR and immunostaining experiment. RESULTS: Morphological deformation and loss of cell numbers in hair shaft were observed in alopecia hair tissues. IHC experiment showed that loss of ß-catenin expression was shown in inner shaft of the alopecia hair tissues, indicating that ß-catenin expression is a key regulatory function during alopecia progression. Consistently, ß-catenin expression was decreased in testosterone or PMA treated dermal papilla cells, suggesting that those treatments are referred as a model on molecular mechanism of alopecia using dermal papilla cells. RT-PCR and immunostaining experiments showed that ß-catenin expression was decreased in RNA level, as well as decreased ß-catenin protein might be resulted from ubiquitination. However, CBD treatment has no changes in gene expression including ß-catenin, but the decreased ß-catenin expression by testosterone or PMA was restored by CBD pretreatment, suggesting that potential regulatory effect on alopecia induction of testosterone and PMA. CONCLUSION: CBD might have a modulating function on alopecia caused by hormonal or excess of signaling pathway, and be a promising application for on alopecia treatment.