Ginsenoside F2 reduces hair loss by controlling apoptosis through the sterol regulatory element-binding protein cleavage activating protein and transforming growth factor-ß pathways in a dihydrotestosterone-induced mouse model.

This study was conducted to test whether ginsenoside F2 can reduce hair loss by influencing sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP) cleavage-activating protein (SCAP) and the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-ß) pathway of apoptosis in dihydrotestosterone (DHT)-treated hair cells and in a DHT-induced hair loss model in mice. Results for ginsenoside F2 were compared with finasteride. DHT inhibits proliferation of hair cells and induces androgenetic alopecia and was shown to activate an apoptosis signal pathway both in vitro and in vivo. The cell-based 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay showed that the proliferation rates of DHT-treated human hair dermal papilla cells (HHDPCs) and HaCaTs increased by 48% in the ginsenoside F2-treated group and by 12% in the finasteride-treated group. Western blot analysis showed that ginsenoside F2 decreased expression of TGF-ß2 related factors involved in hair loss. The present study suggested a hair loss related pathway by changing SCAP related apoptosis pathway, which has been known to control cholesterol metabolism. SCAP, sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP) and caspase-12 expression in the ginsenoside F2-treated group were decreased compared to the DHT and finasteride-treated group. C57BL/6 mice were also prepared by injection with DHT and then treated with ginsenoside F2 or finasteride. Hair growth rate, density, thickness measurements and tissue histotological analysis in these groups suggested that ginsenoside F2 suppressed hair cell apoptosis and premature entry to catagen more effectively than finasteride. Our results indicated that ginsenoside F2 decreased the expression of TGF-ß2 and SCAP proteins, which have been suggested to be involved in apoptosis and entry into catagen. This study provides evidence those factors in the SCAP pathway could be targets for hair loss prevention drugs.

Enhancement of Protective Effects of Radix Scutellariae on UVB-induced Photo Damage in Human HaCaT Keratinocytes.

Radix Scutellariae (RS) has long been used in the treatment of inflammatory and allergic diseases. Its main flavonoids, baicalin (BG) and wogonoside (WG), can be hydrolyzed into their corresponding aglycones, baicalein (B) and wogonin (W). In this study, we developed a safe and effective method of transforming these glycosides using Peclyve PR. The transformation rate of BG and WG reached 98.5 and 98.1%, respectively, with 10% enzyme at 40 °C for 60 h. Furthermore, we compared the anti-photoaging activity of RS before and after enzyme treatment, as well as their respective main components, in UVB-irradiated HaCaT cells. Results found that enzyme-treated RS (ERS) appeared to be much better at preventing UVB-induced photoaging than RS. ERS significantly inhibited the upregulation of matrix metalloproteinase-1 and IL-6 caused by UVB radiation by inactivating the MAPK/AP-1 and NF-κB/IκB-α signaling pathways. ERS treatment also recovered UVB-induced reduction of procollagen type I by activating the TGF-ß/Smad pathway. In addition, ERS exhibited an excellent antioxidant activity, which could increase the expression of cytoprotective antioxidants such as HO-1 and NQ-O1, by facilitating Nrf2 nuclear transfer. These findings demonstrated that the photoprotective effects of RS were significantly improved by enzyme-modified biotransformation.

The inductive effect of ginsenoside F2 on hair growth by altering the WNT signal pathway in telogen mouse skin.

This study was conducted to confirm the possibility of using minor ginseng saponin F2 by oral administration on hair anagen induction effects. The signaling pathway and anagen induction effect of ginsenoside F2 were investigated and compared with finasteride on the effect of hair growth induction. The cell-based MTT assay results indicated that the proliferation rates of HHDPC and HaCaT treated with F2 significantly increased by 30% compared with the finasteride-treated group. A western blot study showed that the expression of ß-catenin Lef-1 and DKK-1 increased by 140, 200% and decreased by 40% in the F2-treated group, respectively compared to that of finasteride-treated group. C57BL/6 mice were subjected to the same treatments. The hair growth promotion rates were compared with groups treated with finasteride, which was 20% higher in the F2-treated group. Tissue histological analysis results showed the number of hair follicles, thickness of the epidermis, and follicles of the anagen phase which increased in the F2-treated group, compared with the finasteride-treated groups. Moreover, the effect of F2 on hair growth was confirmed through the immunofluorescence (IF) methods indicating the expression aspect of Wnt signal pathway-related factors in the tissue of C57BL/6 mouse. Our results considered the expression increase in ß-catenin, Lef-1 which was suggested as a major factor related to the development and growth of hair follicle and the decrease in DKK-1 when entering catagen by F2. As the data showed, F2 might be a potential new therapeutic source for anagen induction and hair growth through the Wnt signal pathway.