Oxidative stress and cellular senescence in dermal papilla cells (DPCs) are major etiological factors causing hair loss. In this study, the effect of the Allium hookeri extract (AHE) on hair-inductive and anti-oxidative properties was investigated in human DPCs. As a result, it was found that a non-cytotoxic concentration of the extracts increased the viability and size of the human DPC spheroid, which was associated with the increased expression of hair-growth-related genes in cells. To determine whether or not these effects could be attributed to intracellular anti-oxidative effects, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry alongside various biochemical analyses are conducted herein. An ingredient called alliin was identified as one of the main components. Furthermore, AHE treatment induced a significant decrease in H₂O₂-mediated cytotoxicities, cell death, and cellular senescence in human DPCs. Upon analyzing these results with a molecular mechanism approach, it was shown that AHE treatment increased β-Catenin and NRF2 translocation into the nucleus while inhibiting the translocation of NF-κB (p50) through p38 and PKA-mediated phosphorylations of GSK3β, an upstream regulator of those proteins. These results overall indicate the possibility that AHE can regulate GSK3β-mediated β-Catenin, NRF2, and NF-κB signaling to enhance hair-inductive properties and ultimately protect against oxidative stress-induced cellular damage in human DPCs.

Hair follicle (HF) is a miniature organ composed of epithelial and mesenchymal (dermal) compartments, and has a pivotal role in hair development and growth. In embryonic, the formation of HF is mainly regulated by mesenchymal-epithelial interactions within the dermal papilla (DP) niche, and this interaction is also responsible for the postnatal hair growth cycle and regeneration. DP cells are the main components of the mesenchymal compartments in hair bulb, and have an instruction role by generating several signals to regulate the behavior of neighbor epithelial cells in hair cycle. Among the many signaling pathways implicated in HF development and growth, Wnt/β-catenin signaling in DP cells plays critical roles in the reciprocal instructive communication between DP and epithelial cells. It is clear that Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is important for HF morphogenesis and regeneration. The goal of this review is to summarize our current knowledge of Wnt signaling pathway in HF development and cycling.

Background: As consumer demand for cosmetic products that enhance physical appearance continues to rise, the global oxidative hair dye market is experiencing steady growth. Para-phenylenediamine (PPD), a key ingredient in most oxidative hair dyes, is widely used due to its efficacy and low cost. However, its high chemical reactivity has been consistently linked to adverse effects, including allergic contact dermatitis (ACD), eczema, carcinogenicity, and genotoxicity. Objectives: Given the concerns over the long-term use of conventional therapies such as topical corticosteroids (TCS) and calcineurin inhibitors, this study aimed to identify a plant-derived compound with protective properties in a keratinocyte model of PPD-induced toxicity. Methods: To assess the cytoprotective potential of 14 selected plant metabolites, water-soluble tetrazolium salt-1 (WST-1) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assays were performed. Western blotting and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction were used to evaluate the anti-apoptotic, anti-DNA damage, and anti-inflammatory effects of geranyl acetate (GA), the most promising candidate. Results: Among the 14 tested plant metabolites, GA was identified as the most effective compound in mitigating cytotoxicity in HaCaT keratinocytes. Co-treatment with GA significantly attenuated PPD-induced phosphorylation of p53 and MAPK, indicating inhibition of the DNA damage response (DDR) pathway. Further experiments revealed that GA suppressed the upregulation of apoptosis-related proteins [p53 upregulated modulator of apoptosis (PUMA), B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL-2)-associated X protein (BAX), cytochrome c, and cleaved poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP)]. Moreover, GA treatment decreased the phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and NF-κB p65, thereby downregulating five pro-inflammatory cytokines [interleukin (IL)-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and IL-24] and five chemokines [C-C motif chemokine ligand (CCL) 5/RANTES, CCL20/MIP-3α, CCL26/eotaxin-3, C-X-C motif chemokine ligand (CXCL) 1/GRO-α, and CXCL8/IL-8], confirming its anti-inflammatory efficacy. Conclusions: Collectively, this study suggests GA as a promising plant-derived metabolite with cytoprotective, genoprotective, anti-apoptotic, and anti-inflammatory effects in PPD-stimulated HaCaT cells.

Ovarian cancer is an aggressive and lethal cancer, which in part, can be attributed to complications in the effective detection of this disease during early stages of progression. Frequently, epithelial ovarian cancer is disseminated to the abdominal cavity and forms multicellular aggregates. This unique early metastatic event, and formation of the multicellular aggregate is implicated to provide a basis for understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms of metastasis in ovarian cancer. Therefore, a 3‑dimensional (3D) sphere culture system was established in the present study to mimic the later stages of ovarian cancer. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether microRNAs (miRNAs), which have functions in metastasis and chemoresistance in various cancer models, are altered in ovarian cancer cells by 3‑dimensional (3D) culture. A multicellular aggregate of SKOV3ip1 ovarian carcinoma cells was generated using a 3D sphere culture system. Cell viability analysis demonstrated that the sphere‑cultured SKOV3ip1 cells exhibited chemoresistance compared with those in a conventional 2‑dimensional (2D) monolayer cultured SKOV3ip1 system. Under the same experimental conditions, 71 upregulated miRNAs and 63 downregulated miRNAs were identified in the 3D sphere‑cultured SKOV3ip1 cells. The predicted targets of the 3D sphere‑culture specific miRNAs were further identified using PITA, microRNAorg and TargetScan. Compared with the target gene pool and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway, the present study provides evidence that the 3D sphere culture‑specific miRNAs regulated sphere formation and chemoresistance in 3D sphere‑cultured SKOV3ip1 cells. Overall, the results of the present study demonstrated that miRNA‑mediated regulation is implicated to provoke features of SKOV3ip1 multicellular aggregation, including sphere formation and chemoresistance.