Alleviation of Androgenetic Alopecia with Aqueous Paeonia lactiflora and Poria cocos Extract Intake through Suppressing the Steroid Hormone and Inflammatory Pathway

Abstract

Paeonia lactiflora Pallas (PL) and Poria cocos Wolf (PC) have been traditionally used to treat inflammatory diseases reported in Dongui Bogam and Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing, traditional medical books in Korean and China, respectively. We determined the efficacies and the molecular mechanisms of PL, PC, and PL + PC aqueous extracts on androgenetic alopecia (AGA) induced by testosterone propionate in C57BL/6 mice. The molecular mechanisms of PL and PC in AGA treatment were examined using experimental assays and network pharmacology. The AGA model was generated by topically applying 0.5% testosterone propionate in 70% ethanol solution to the backs of mice daily for 28 days while the normal-control (Normal-Con; no AGA induction) mice applied 70% ethanol. The 0.1% PL (AGA-PL), 0.1% PC (AGA-PC), 0.05% PL + 0.05% PC (AGA-MIX), and 0.1% cellulose (AGA-Con; control) were supplemented in a high-fat diet for 28 days in AGA-induced mice. Positive-control (AGA-Positive) were administered 2% finasteride daily on the backs of the AGA mice. Hair growth rates decreased in the order of AGA-PL, AGA-MIX, AGA-PC, AGA-Positive, and AGA-Con after 21 days of treatment (ED21). On ED28, skins were completely covered with hair in the AGA-PL and AGA-MIX groups. Serum testosterone concentrations were lower in the AGA-PL group than in the AGA-Con group and similar to concentrations in the Normal-Con group, whereas serum 17β-estradiol concentrations showed the opposite pattern with increasing aromatase mRNA expression (p < 0.05). In the dorsal skin, DKK1 and NR3C2 mRNA expressions were significantly lower, but TGF-β2, β-Catenin, and PPARG expressions were higher in the AGA-PL and AGA-PC groups than in the AGA-Con group (p < 0.05), whereas TNF-α and IL-6 mRNA expressions were lower in the AGA-PL, AGA-MIX, and Normal-Con groups than in the AGA-Con group (p < 0.05). The phosphorylation of Akt and GSK-3β in the dorsal skin was lower in AGA-Con than normal-Con, and PL and MIX ingestion suppressed their decrease similar to the Normal-Con. In conclusion, PL or PL + PC intake had beneficial effects on hair growth similar to Normal-Con. The promotion was related to lower serum testosterone concentrations and pro-inflammatory cytokine levels, and inhibition of the steroid hormone pathway, consistent with network pharmacology analysis findings.

Regulatory Effects of Thai Rice By-Product Extracts from Oryza sativa L. cv. Bue Bang 3 CMU and Bue Bang 4 CMU on Melanin Production, Nitric Oxide Secretion, and Steroid 5α-Reductase Inhibition

“…Thus, undesirable side effects markedly appear after drug administration, such as sexual dysfunction, testicular pain, and mental illness [ 88 ]. Natural substances, attenuating the action of SRD5A isoenzymes, seem highly probable agents for hair loss treatment with fewer adverse effects [ 89 , 90 ].…”

Exploring the Mechanisms and Molecular Targets of Taohong Siwu Decoction for the Treatment of Androgenetic Alopecia Based on Network Analysis and Molecular Docking

“… 51 Phosphorylation of Akt was lower and inflammatory factors such as IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6 were up-regulated in the dorsal skin of AGA induced by testosterone propionate in C57BL/6 mice, which could be reversed by Radix paeoniae alba. 52 …”

Pinus koraiensis needle or cone extracts alleviate atopic dermatitis symptoms by regulating immunity and suppressing inflammation in HaCaT cells and Nc/Nga mice

“…cDNA was synthesized from total RNA samples (1 μg) using the Superscript III reverse transcriptase kit (Bio‐Rad, Richmond, CA) and then amplified using a real‐time PCR instrument (CFX Connect Real‐Time PCR Detection System; Bio‐Rad Laboratories, Inc.). Relative mRNA expressions of genes of interest including, TNF‐α, IL‐4, IL‐6, and filaggrin, were determined using the Ct comparison method and normalizing to β‐actin expression (Livak & Schmittgen, 2001; Wang et al, 2018; Zhang et al, 2021).…”