Dendrobium officinale Polysaccharide (DOP) Promotes Hair Regrowth in Testosterone-Induced Bald Mice.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Androgenetic alopecia can affect up to 70% of males and 40% of females; however, certain therapeutic medications offer partial and transitory improvement but with major side effects. Dendrobium officinale polysaccharide (DOP) has been reported to improve androgen-related hair loss in mice, but the molecular mechanism remains unclear. OBJECTIVES: To explore the effects of DOP on androgenetic alopecia. METHODS: In this study, testosterone was subcutaneously administered to shave dorsa skin of mice to establish androgenetic alopecia; the effects of DOP in androgenetic alopecia were explored by DOP administration. RESULTS: Testosterone treatment extended the time of skin growing dark and hair growing, decreased the mean numbers of follicles in skin tissues, decreased ß-catenin and cyclin D1 levels, and elevated testosterone, DHT (dihydrotestosterone), and 5α-reductase levels. In contrast, DOP administration shortened skin growing dark and hair growing times, promoted follicle cell proliferation, increased follicle numbers, increased ß-catenin and cyclin D1 levels, and decreased testosterone, DHT, and 5α-reductase levels. CONCLUSION: DOP application significantly improved testosterone-induced hair follicle miniaturization and hair loss, possibly through affecting the Wnt signaling and hair follicle stem cell functions. NO LEVEL ASSIGNED This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each submission to which Evidence-Based Medicine rankings are applicable. This excludes Review Articles, Book Reviews, and manuscripts that concern Basic Science, Animal Studies, Cadaver Studies, and Experimental Studies. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .