NEW NON SYNTHETIC MOLECULES ARE ABLE TO INHIBIT APOPTOSIS IN DERMAL PAPILLAR CELLS OF HAIR BULB

Hair exerts a range of functions including thermoregulation, physical protection,
sensory activity. Mature and actively growing hair follicles become anchored in
the subcutis, and regenerate by spontaneous repetitive cycles of growth
(anagen), apoptosis-driven regression (catagen), and quiescence (telogen). We
focused our study on investigating the effect of new therapeutic molecules
capable of counteracting the regression phase. We have tested our working
hypothesis on HFDPC cells, grown in culture in Follicle Dermal Papilla Growth
Medium, and apoptosis was induced by 24 hours incubation with 1 μM
staurosporin. This treatment resulted in a marked activation of Caspase-3
accompanied by cytoskeletal degradation, nuclear blebbing, and cellular
fragmentation. The addition of spermidin or rutine in the micromolar range
concentration reduced staurosporin-induced caspase activity by over 50%,
when the two agents were added simultaneously equal levels of caspase-3
inhibition was achieved with concentration 10 fold lower. Zeaxantine alone was
ineffective, however when added to the combined spermidin and rutine
treatment, the staurosporin-induced caspase activity was almost totally
counteracted and the enzymatic activity was significantly reduced. These
combined treatment was also effective in preventing staurosporin-mediated
cellular damage. The extent of cell loss was greatly reduced and there was a
total preservation and normal distribution of actin-tubulin cytoskeleton with
normal cellular shape. Interestingly, our combined treatment also counteracted
caspase-3 over-expression induced by staurosporin. In conclusion, this
sperimental molecules can counteract HFDPC cells apoptosis and may
represent an effective preventing treatment for the catagen phase of the hair
bulb life cycle.