Topical application of 8DSS induces anagen hair growth in telogenic mouse skin

Octuplet repeats of aspartate-serine-serine (8DSS) peptides induce hair regrowth, but the underlying mechanism is largely unknown. Activation of the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway in dermal papilla cells (DPCs) is critical for hair regeneration. It is possible that 8DSS affects human hair follicle DPCs via activating the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway. This study sought to explore the effects of topical 8DSS on promoting the transition from telogen-to-anagen during hair regeneration and whether 8DSS activates Wnt/beta-catenin signaling in human DPCs. Here, 1% 8DSS was topically applied onto the shaved dorsal skin of telogenic C57BL/6 mice (seven-week-old) daily for 31 days. After 7 days, the biopsies of dorsal skins were double processed with hematoxylin-eosin and immunohistochemical staining. Topical application of 8DSS to C57BL/6 mice induced early telogen-to-anagen transition of hair follicles and increased the number of hair follicles in telogenic mouse skin. The 8DSS-treated mouse skin exhibited earlier induction of beta-catenin protein expression. Treatment with 8DSS increased wnt10b, Lef-1 and c-myc mRNA levels, nuclear beta-catenin protein levels, and GSK3 beta and Akt phosphorylation levels in human dermal papilla cells. These results demonstrate that 8DSS induced early telogen-to-anagen transition of hair follicles in C57BL/6 mice. Treatment with 8DSS promotes hair follicle regrowth through activating the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway in dermal papilla cells. Thus, 8DSS may be a promising agent for hair loss treatment.