Hordenine is effective in treating
hyperpigmentation, fighting diabetes and resisting
fibrosis and acute
inflammation. However, the role of
Hordenine on hair growth has not been elucidated. Here, we found that
Hordenine treatments significantly enhance proliferation of primary mouse dermal-papilla cells (DPCs) and increase the activity of DPCs in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally,
Hordenine markedly promoted the elongation of the hair shaft in the model of in vitro-cultured mouse vibrissa follicle and accelerated hair regrowth in a mouse model of
depilation-induced hair regeneration. Real-time PCR, Western Blot and immunofluorescent assays showed that nuclear β-
catenin and its downstream gene expression such as Lef1, Axin2,
Cyclin D1 and ALP were greatly upregulated in DPCs and mouse hair follicles after
Hordenine treatments. Moreover, the increased DPCs' proliferation and hair shaft elongation of cultured mouse vibrissa follicles induced by
Hordenine treatments were rescued by a Wnt/β-
catenin signaling inhibitor,
FH535. These data indicate that
Hordenine can effectively enhance DPCs' activity and accelerate hair regrowth through activating the Wnt/β-
catenin signaling pathway. Therefore, these findings suggest
Hordenine/its derivatives may be potentially used for preventing and treating
alopecia in the future.