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J Invest Dermatol 2003 Jan;120(1):27-35

Fas and c-kit are involved in the control of hair follicle melanocyte apoptosis and migration in chemotherapy-induced hair loss.


Chemotherapy alters the structure and function of hair follicle melanocytes. Molecular mechanisms controlling melanocyte responses during chemotherapy-induced hair loss, however, remain largely unknown. Using immunohistology and multicolor confocal microscopy, we show here that cyclophosphamide administration to C57BL/6 mice alters the activity and fate of hair follicle melanocytes. After 24-48 h, hair bulb melanocytes expressing Fas undergo apoptosis. The number of apoptotic follicular melanocytes is significantly reduced (p<0.01) in cyclophosphamide-treated Fas knockout mice compared to wild-type controls, suggesting that Fas signaling contributes to chemotherapy-induced melanocyte death. After 3-5 d, surviving hair bulb melanocytes express c-kit receptor, proliferate, and appear to migrate up the outer root sheath. Tyrosinase-positive and melanogenically active cells then appear in the epidermis. By Western blotting and immunohistochemistry, expression levels of the c-kit ligand, stem cell factor, in skin and epidermis are strongly increased after cyclophosphamide treatment. Cyclophosphamide-induced migration of the hair follicle melanocytes into epidermis is completely abrogated by administration of c-kit neutralizing antibody. These data suggest that chemotherapy induces a complex response in the hair follicle melanocytes, which includes apoptosis, proliferation, and migration. Pharmacologic manipulation of Fas and c-kit signaling pathways might be useful for the correction of skin hyperpigmentation as a side-effect of chemotherapy.


Clin Exp Dermatol 2002 Jul;27(5):405-9

Epidemiology and genetics of alopecia areata.


The frequency of alopecia areata and observed patterns of heritability are in keeping with a polygenic inheritance model but the genetics of alopecia areata is still poorly understood. The role of environmental factors in triggering disease initiation or exacerbation remains almost entirely speculative. Using the candidate gene approach, three susceptibility/severity factors have been identified. HLA alleles were the first to show a strong association with alopecia areata and some DQB and DR alleles have been demonstrated to confer a high risk for disease by both case-control and family-based studies. Interleukin (IL)-1 cluster genes, mainly the IL-1 receptor antagonist, show a strong association with disease severity in alopecia areata and a number of other autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Finally, the association of alopecia areata with Down's syndrome, the high frequency of alopecia areata in autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type I due to mutations of the autoimmune regulator (AIRE) gene on chromosome 21q22.3 and the finding of association with MX1, another gene in the Down's syndrome region of chromosome 21 indicate this area of the genome as a promising target for future-family based investigations. The role of individual genes of the MHC, IL-1 cluster or chromosome 21q22.3 is difficult to establish and further genetic and functional investigations are needed to confirm their involvement in the pathogenesis of alopecia areata.


Clin Exp Dermatol 2002 Jul;27(5):366-72

Clinical relevance of hair microscopy in alopecia.


Hair microscopy can clarify the cause of hair loss in a range of diagnoses. Most of these are associated with hair breakage, the rest are related to lack of growth. Hair breakage may be due to excessive trauma or underlying susceptibility, where structural clues may be present. Lack of growth reflects follicular dynamics and represents the central mechanism of most common causes of alopecia. In such conditions, microscopy only reveals nonspecific confirmation of short anagen. Although this may assist clinical diagnosis, microscopy in alopecia only allows exclusion of diagnoses related to hair breakage. Confidence in the outcome of hair microscopy is based on the size of the sample of hairs, the length of the hair, the characteristics of the observations and the experience of the person undertaking the microscopy.


Cancer Res. 2003 Jun 15;63(12):3037-42.

Inhibition of the Development of Metastatic Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Protein Kinase C epsilon Transgenic Mice by alpha-Difluoromethylornithine Accompanied by Marked Hair Follicle Degeneration and Hair Loss.


The role of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-stimulated polyamine biosynthesis in the development of metastatic squamous cell carcinoma (mSCC) in protein kinase C epsilon (PKCepsilon) transgenic mice was determined. TPA treatment induced epidermal ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity and putrescine levels approximately 3-4-fold more in PKCepsilon transgenic mice than their wild-type littermates. Development of mSCC by the 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (100 nmol)-TPA (5 nmol) protocol in PKCepsilon transgenic mice was completely prevented by administration of the suicide inhibitor of ODC alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO, 0.5% w/v) in the drinking water during TPA promotion. However, DFMO treatment led to marked hair loss in PKCepsilon transgenic mice. DFMO treatment-associated hair loss in PKCepsilon transgenic mice was accompanied by a decrease in the number of intact hair follicles. These results indicate that TPA-induced ODC activity and the resultant accumulation of putrescine in PKCepsilon transgenic mice are linked to growth and maintenance of hair follicles, and the development of mSCC. Severe hair loss observed in PKCepsilon transgenic mice on DFMO during skin tumor promotion has not been reported before in the prevention of cancer in other animal models or in human cancer prevention trials.


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