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There is currently a lack of pathological research on the hair loss caused by stress, and there is no effective treatment available. It has been previously reported that stress can cause sympathetic nerve activation and release of norepinephrine, which binds to beta-2 adrenergic receptors and causes a series of chemical reactions. Propranolol, as a beta-2 adrenergic receptors blocker, competitively antagonizes the effects of norepinephrine. We initiated a single-center clinical trial with a self-controlled approach to assess the effectiveness of topical applied hydrochloride salt of propranolol solution in preventing stress-induced hair loss in humans. A total of 20 volunteers were enrolled. 14 out of 20 volunteers experienced a significant reduction in the number of hair loss (p < .05) after using hydrochloride salt of propranolol solution. No local adverse reactions were found. This study showed hydrochloride salt of propranolol solution may alleviate stress-induced alopecia to a certain extent, which provides clues for the development of pharmaceutical interventions for the treatment of stress-induced alopecia., (© 2024 The Author(s). The FASEB Journal published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.)

Microplastics (MPs) are pervasive pollutants in the natural environment and contribute to increased levels of illness in both animals and humans. However, thespecific impacts of MPs on skin damage and alopeciaare not yet well understood. In this study, we have examined the effects of two types of polystyrene MPs (pristine and aged) on skin and hair follicle damage in mice. UV irradiation changed the chemical and physical properties of the aged MPs, including functional groups, surface roughness, and contact angles. In both in vivo and in vitro experiments, skin and cell injuries related to oxidative stress, apoptosis, tight junctions (TJs), alopecia, mitochondrial dysfunction, and other damages were observed. Mechanistically, MPs and aged MPs can induce TJs damage via the oxidative stress pathway and inhibition of antioxidant-related proteins, and this can lead to alopecia. The regulation of cell apoptosis was also observed, and this is involved in the ROS-mediated mitochondrial signaling pathway. Importantly, aged MPs showed exacerbated toxicity, which may be due to their elevated surface irregularities and altered chemical compositions. Collectively, this study suggests a potential therapeutic approach for alopecia and hair follicle damage caused by MPs pollution., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)