Malva verticillata seed extracts upregulate the Wnt pathway in human dermal papilla cells

OBJECTIVE: Mesenchymal-epithelial interactions are important in controlling hair growth and the hair cycle. The beta-catenin pathway of dermal papilla cells (DPCs) plays a pivotal role in morphogenesis and normal regeneration of hair follicles. Deletion of beta-catenin in the dermal papilla reduces proliferation of the hair follicle progenitor cells that generate the hair shaft and induces an early onset of the catagen phase. In this study, a modulator of the Wnt/beta-catenin activity was studied in oriental herb extracts on cultured human DPCs. METHODS: The effect of Malva verticillata (M.verticillata) seeds on human DPCs was investigated by a Wnt/beta-catenin reporter activity assay system (beta-catenin-TCF/LEF reporter gene) and cell proliferation analysis. The synthesis of the factors related to hair growth and cycling was measured at both the mRNA and the protein level by semi-quantitative PCR and Western blot analysis, respectively. RESULTS: An extract from M.verticillata seeds increased Wnt reporter activity in a concentration-dependent manner and also led to increased beta-catenin levels in cultured human DPCs. Myristoleic acid, identified as an effective compound of M.verticillata seeds, stimulated the proliferation of DPCs in a dose-dependent manner and increased transcription levels of the downstream targets: IGF-1, KGF, VEGF and HGF. Myristoleic acid also enhanced the phosphorylation of MAPKs (Akt and p38). CONCLUSION: Overall, the data suggest that this extract of M.verticillata seeds could be a good candidate for treating hair loss by modulating the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway in DPCs.