ArticlePloS one2023
Caizhixuan hair tonic regulates both apoptosis and the PI3K/Akt pathway to treat androgenetic alopecia.
Article in PloS one, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 12 citations in OpenAlex.
- The Extract ofCurrent issues in molecular biology · 2025Article
- Mechanism of astragaloside A against lung adenocarcinoma based on network pharmacology combined with molecular dynamics simulation technique.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Identifying effective immune biomarkers in alopecia areata diagnosis based on machine learning methods.BMC medical informatics and decision making · 2025Article
- Jiawei Erzhiwan Ameliorates Androgenetic Alopecia by Regulating the SIRT1/JNK/p38 MAPK Pathway.Drug design, development and therapy · 2025Article
- Controlling Hair Loss by Regulating Apoptosis in Hair Follicles: A Comprehensive Overview.Biomolecules · 2023Review
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Authors and funding
9 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeCaizhixuan hair tonic (CZX) is a topical traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) preparation for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia (AGA). However, its active compounds and underlying mechanism for treating AGA are still unclear. The purpose of this study was to observe the effects of CZX on hair growth promotion in AGA mice and to explore the active components and mechanism.
methodsTestosterone propionate was administered subcutaneously to mice to establish an AGA mouse model. The therapeutic effects of CZX on AGA were evaluated by observing skin colour changes, hair growth time, and average hair length; calculating the hair growth score; and performing skin histopathological analysis. Following that, CZX chemical components were analysed by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF/MS). Network pharmacology was used to predict the major effects and possible mechanisms of CZX for the treatment of AGA. Furthermore, RT-qPCR and Western blotting were performed to assess the expression of key genes and proteins involved in PI3K/Akt and apoptosis pathways in order to validate CZX's predicted mechanism in AGA.
resultsCZX promoted hair growth and improved the pathological morphology of hair follicles in the skin. In UPLC-Q-TOF/MS analysis, 69 components from CZX were isolated. Based on network pharmacology, CZX alleviated AGA by regulating PI3K/Akt and apoptosis pathways. According to RT-qPCR and Western blotting, CZX upregulated the expressions of PI3K, Akt, and Bcl-2, while downregulating that of Bax and caspase-3.
conclusionsCZX promotes hair growth to treat AGA by regulating the PI3K/Akt and apoptosis pathways.
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