1. Physcion, a novel inhibitor of 5α-reductase that promotes hair growth in vitro and in vivo
- Author
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Haishan Long, Ziyun Kong, Jieliang Xie, Chuanlan Sang, Yina Wu, Bei Zhang, Geng Li, Ludi Fu, Yaohua Fan, Yuhang Huo, Rongwen Zhang, Ji Lin, Zizhao Lao, Liangwen Yu, and Feng Liao
- Subjects
Male ,Polygonum ,Emodin ,Dermatology ,Pharmacology ,Inhibitory postsynaptic potential ,Hair growth ,Rats, Sprague-Dawley ,030207 dermatology & venereal diseases ,03 medical and health sciences ,Mice ,0302 clinical medicine ,5-alpha Reductase Inhibitors ,In vivo ,medicine ,Animals ,Testosterone ,biology ,Molecular Structure ,Chemistry ,Plant Extracts ,Alopecia ,General Medicine ,Hair follicle ,biology.organism_classification ,In vitro ,Rats ,Mice, Inbred C57BL ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,030220 oncology & carcinogenesis ,Dihydrotestosterone ,Hair Follicle ,medicine.drug - Abstract
Androgenic alopecia (AGA) has a high incidence. Excess dihydrotestosterone in blood capillaries, which is converted from testosterone by 5α-reductase, is an AGA causative factor. We identified the inhibitory activity of four Polygonum multiflorum compounds against 5α-reductase via high-performance liquid chromatography, and the results showed that Physcion was a potent 5α-reductase inhibitor. Additionally, we found that through inhibiting 5α-reductase expression, Physcion could shorten the time of dorsal skin darkening and hair growth, improve hair follicle morphology, and significantly increase hair follicle count. Eventually, through molecular docking study, we found the binding energy and molecular interactions between Physcion and 5α-reductase type II. These results suggested that Physcion is a potent 5α-reductase inhibitor, as well as a new natural medicine for treating AGA.
- Published
- 2020