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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Pharmacol.
Sec. Experimental Pharmacology and Drug Discovery
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1482898
This article is part of the Research Topic Prevention and Treatment of Skin Diseases View all 3 articles

In Vitro Hair Growth-Promoting Effects of Araliadiol via p38/PPARγ Signaling Pathway in Human Hair Follicle Stem and Human Dermal Papilla Cells

Provisionally accepted
Seokmuk Park Seokmuk Park 1Han Woong Park Han Woong Park 2*Dae Bang Seo Dae Bang Seo 2*Dae Sung Yoo Dae Sung Yoo 2*Seunghee Bae Seunghee Bae 1*
  • 1 Konkuk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
  • 2 ASK Company Co., Ltd., Daegu, Republic of Korea

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Scalp hair plays a crucial role in social communication by expressing personal appearance and self-identity. Consequently, hair loss often leads to a perception of unattractiveness, negatively impacting an individual's life and mental health. Currently, the use of Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs for hair loss is associated with several side effects, highlighting the need for identifying new drug candidates, such as plant-derived phytochemicals, to overcome these issues.Objective: This study investigated the hair growth-promoting effects of araliadiol, a polyacetylene compound found in plants such as Centella asiatica.Methods: We employed an in vitro model comprising human hair follicle stem cells (HHFSCs) and human dermal papilla cells (HDPCs) to evaluate the hair growth-promoting effects of araliadiol. The proliferation-stimulating effects of araliadiol were assessed using water-soluble tetrazolium salt assay, adenosine triphosphate content assay, and crystal violet staining assay. In addition, we performed luciferase reporter assay, polymerase chain reaction analysis, cell fractionation, western blot analysis, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to elucidate the mechanism underlying the hair growth-inductive effects of araliadiol.Results: Araliadiol exhibited both proliferation-and hair growth-promoting effects in HHFSCs and HDPCs. Specifically, it increased the protein expression of cyclin B1 and Ki67. In HHFSCs, it elevated the expression of hair growth-promoting factors, including CD34, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and angiopoietin-like 4. Similarly, araliadiol increased the expression of hair growth-inductive proteins such as fibroblast growth factor 7, VEGF, noggin, and insulin-like growth factor 1 in HDPCs. Subsequent western blot analysis and ELISA using inhibitors such as GW9662 and SB202190 confirmed that these hair growth-promoting effects were dependent on the p38/PPAR-γ signaling in both HHFSCs and HDPCs. Conclusion: Araliadiol promotes hair growth through the p38/PPAR-γ signaling pathway in human hair follicle cells. Therefore, araliadiol can be considered a novel drug candidate for the treatment of alopecia.

    Keywords: Alopecia1, araliadiol2, hair follicles3, hair growth4, hair loss5, phytochemicals6, polyacetylene7, PPAR-γ8

    Received: 19 Aug 2024; Accepted: 18 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Park, Park, Seo, Yoo and Bae. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Han Woong Park, ASK Company Co., Ltd., Daegu, Republic of Korea
    Dae Bang Seo, ASK Company Co., Ltd., Daegu, Republic of Korea
    Dae Sung Yoo, ASK Company Co., Ltd., Daegu, Republic of Korea
    Seunghee Bae, Konkuk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.