Inhibition of Inflammatory Gene Expression in Keratinocytes Using a Composition Containing Carnitine, Thioctic Acid and Saw Palmetto Extract.

[chore boy]

Chronic inflammation of the hair follicle (HF) is considered a contributing factor in the pathogenesis of androgenetic alopecia (AGA). Previously, we clinically tested liposterolic extract of Serenoa repens (LSESr) and its glycoside, beta-sitosterol, in subjects with AGA and showed a highly positive response to treatment. In this study, we sought to determine whether blockade of inflammation using a composition containing LSESr as well as two anti-inflammatory agents (carnitine and thioctic acid) could alter the expression of molecular markers of inflammation in a well-established in vitro system. Using a well-validated assay representative of HF keratinocytes, specifically, stimulation of cultured human keratinocyte cells in vitro, we measured changes in gene expression of a spectrum of well-known inflammatory markers. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) provided an inflammatory stimulus. In particular, we found that the composition effectively suppressed LPS-activated gene expression of chemokines, including CCL17, CXCL6 and LTB(4) associated with pathways involved in inflammation and apoptosis. Our data support the hypothesis that the test compound exhibits anti-inflammatory characteristics in a well-established in vitro assay representing HF keratinocyte gene expression. These findings suggest that 5-alpha reductase inhibitors combined with blockade of inflammatory processes could represent a novel two-pronged approach in the treatment of AGA with improved efficacy over current modalities.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1969 ... d_RVDocSum

[OverMachoGrande]

These findings suggest that 5-alpha reductase inhibitors combined with blockade of inflammatory processes could represent a novel two-pronged approach in the treatment of AGA with improved efficacy over current modalities.

"NOVEL"... that cracks me up, and this is dated August 19th of this year (the laser babe's 30th birthday, I might add!). That's what all of us in the the proactive hair loss community -you, me, and all the other people that fled the old site- have been saying for five years. I think that it's high time the companies and scientists actually pay attention to what we are doing a little bit! lol...

...And once again, I'm going to point out that if the FDA worked like people are erroneously geared to think it does, I ask where are the FDA approved anti-inflammatory products for hair loss??

I'm glad some people are doing research on this, though. It should have been done 10 years ago, but it's nice to see the science. This will definitely go in the "anti-inflammatory" archive, and I think that once we get all of the anti-inflammatories laid out in front of our face, we'll be much better armed.

Here the thread with the anti-inflammatory "flyer" for LLLT, by the way: "LASERS REDUCE FOLLICLE INFLAMMATION: Sunetics study (using AiXiZ 5mW diodes) on follicle inflammation presented to the I.S.H.R.S. -Sept. 2007"