Oleanolic acid (OA) is a pentacyclic triterpenoid with favourable physiological activity. It is widely distributed in more than 200 species of plants. OA has garnered significant interest because of its potential biological activities, such as antioxidant, bacteriostatic, and hair growth-promoting effects. To study the effect of OA on hair growth and related mechanisms, we investigated hair growth in mice with testosterone-induced androgenetic alopecia (AGA) that were treated with three different concentrations of OA. The antioxidant, bacteriostatic, and cytotoxic effects of OA were evaluated. We found that mice with testosterone-induced AGA treated with 1% or 0.5% OA showed significantly enhanced hair growth and increased vascular endothelial growth factor/glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase ratio and levels of fibroblast growth factor receptor and insulin-like growth factor 1. Using an immunofluorescence staining assay, we demonstrated that β-catenin, a key Wnt signalling transducer, was highly expressed in the OA-treated groups. These results suggest that OA may promote hair growth by stimulating hair matrix cell proliferation via the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and lowering the levels of tumour necrosis factor-alpha, and transforming growth factor-beta 1, dihydrotestosterone, and 5α-reductase.

• MeSH
• Alopecia chemically induced   drug therapy   metabolism   MeSH
• Antioxidants MeSH
• beta Catenin * metabolism   MeSH
• Cytokines MeSH
• Oleanolic Acid * pharmacology   MeSH
• Mice MeSH
• Testosterone MeSH
• Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A metabolism   MeSH
• Hair Follicle metabolism   pathology   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Mice MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH