Undariopsis peterseniana Promotes Hair Growth by the Activation of Wnt/β-Catenin and ERK Pathways

摘要

In this study, we investigated the effect and mechanism of Undariopsis peterseniana , an edible brown alga, on hair growth. The treatment of vibrissa follicles with U. peterseniana extract ex vivo for 21 days significantly increased the hair-fiber lengths. The U. peterseniana extract also significantly accelerated anagen initiation in vivo. Moreover, we found that U. peterseniana extract was able to open the K ATP channel, which may contribute to increased hair growth. The U. peterseniana extract decreased 5α-reductase activity and markedly increased the proliferation of dermal papilla cells, a central regulator of the hair cycle. The U. peterseniana extract increased the levels of cell cycle proteins, such as Cyclin D1, phospho(ser780)-pRB, Cyclin E, phospho-CDK2, and CDK2. The U. peterseniana extract also increased the phosphorylation of ERK and the levels of Wnt/β-catenin signaling proteins such as glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) and β-catenin. These results suggested that the U. peterseniana extract had the potential to influence hair growth by dermal papilla cells proliferation through the activation of the Wnt/β-catenin and ERK pathways. We isolated a principal of the U. peterseniana extract, which was subsequently identified as apo-9′-fucoxanthinone, a trichogenic compound. The results suggested that U. peterseniana extract may have a pivotal role in the treatment of alopecia.