Molecular Pathways Involved in Promoting Activity of Timosaponin BII on Hair Growth in C57BL/6 Mice

Hair loss is a common disease in dermatology, while the approved drugs may have unpredictable side effects. In this study, the effect of timosaponin BII extracted from Anemarrhena asphodeloides on hair growth of C57BL/6 mice was investigated by measuring the hair follicle morphology, hair growth length and area in C57BL/6 male mice, and the immunohistochemical analysis of β-catenin, Wnt3a, and Wnt10b in the dorsal skins of mice after topical application with minoxidil and timosaponin BII for 15 days. The decrease in skin brightness, the increase in the regrowing area of hair and hair follicles numbers, and the improvement of hair follicle morphology in the group applied with 0.5% timosaponin BII indicated an induction of the anagen phase in telogenic mice skin, which were comparative to the 2% minoxidil treatment. The immunohistochemical analysis detected an increase in the expression of β-catenin and Wnt10b, supporting the theory of the activation of the β-catenin/Wnt pathway was one of the pathways that are related to anagen phase induction. Anemarrhena asphodeloides is a herb commonly used for metabolic disorders in China. The present study is the first to show that the timosaponin BII, which is present at a high concentration in A. asphodeloides, promotes hair growth in C57BL/6 male mice. The results indicate that timosaponin BII may be a potential promoting agent for hair growth.