Flavonoids in safflower extract reduce cisplatin-induced damage to human follicle dermal papilla cells by inhibiting DNA damage and Rad17/Chk1/Cdc25C signaling

Background:Cisplatin is a chemotherapeutic agent commonly used clinically for the treatment of various human cancers.Patients often reduce the use of cisplatin due to its side effects,which in turn affects its treatment.This study explored the mechanism of action of safflower extract as an adjuvant traditional Chinese medicine for chemotherapy.Methods:Primary human follicle dermal papilla cells(HFDPCs)were used as target cells for cisplatininduced damage to hair cells.Western blotting was used to investigate the molecular targets of cisplatin and safflower extract in causing HFDPCs damage.Cell survival and cell cycle were analyzed by mitochondrial staining reagent WST-1 and propidium iodide.Results:Cisplatin could reduce the viability of HFDPCs without causing cell death.Cisplatin increased the level of phospho-Rad17 in HFDPCs and activated the Chk1/Cdc25C signaling to reduce the expression of Cdc2 protein,thereby arresting the cells in the G2/M phase.The combination of safflower extract and the flavonoids could effectively inhibit the signal transduction of Rad17/Chk1/Cdc25 in cisplatin-treated cells and reduce the cell population in the G2/M phase.Finally,we also confirmed that safflower extract could effectively inhibit the damage to HFDPCs caused by cisplatin,mainly at the level of reducing the DNA damage caused by cisplatin.Conclusions:Safflower extract can be used as an adjuvant Chinese medicine for chemotherapy to reduce the damage caused by chemotherapy to normal hair follicle cells.

Polyphenol-Rich Olive Mill Wastewater Extract and Its Potential Use in Hair Care Products

In this work, the influence of phenol-enriched olive mill wastewater (OMWW) extract on hair growth was investigated in vitro on human follicle dermal papilla cells. OMWW has already shown great potential for use in skincare products, and its high polyphenol content is predestined to have a positive effect on hair growth. The studies included caffeine, a positive modulator of hair growth, and dihydrotestosterone, which causes hair loss in vivo, as controls. The impact of the investigated compounds on hair growth was evaluated by studies on cell viability and proliferation, the release of growth factors (insulin-like growth factor-1 and vascular endothelial growth factor), and the reduction of reactive oxygen species formation. OMWW showed a positive influence on the proliferation of the human follicle dermal papilla cells. Moreover, the extract leads to a significantly increased secretion of insulin-like growth factor-1, and a considerable reduction in reactive oxygen species formation was observed. Overall, our results show that the investigated phenol-enriched OMWW extract is a promising ingredient for hair care to improve hair growth, prevent hair loss due to oxidative stress and maintain a healthy scalp.