Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Protects CD200-Rich and CD34-Positive Hair Follicle Stem Cells Against Androgen-Induced Apoptosis Through the Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase/Akt Pathway in Patients With Androgenic Alopecia,
Zhang, Xuesong MD*; Zhou, Dongmei MD*,†; Ma, Tengfei MD*; Liu, Qingquan MD*,†

Dermatologic Surgery: August 30, 2019 - Volume Publish Ahead of Print - Issue - p
doi: 10.1097/DSS.0000000000002091
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BACKGROUND 5α-DHT can decrease the cell viability of the hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs) with CD34-positive and CD200-rich in bald scalp area of androgenic alopecia (AGA) patients and the apoptosis of HFSCs may be involved in the pathogenesis of AGA. The expression of Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) turns to be weakened or disappeared in hair follicles of AGA patients.

OBJECTIVE To investigate whether VEGF is involved in the apoptosis of HFSCs induced by 5α-DHT in the patients of AGA.

METHODS By 5α-DHT, apoptosis of CD200-rich and CD34-positive HFSCs was induced and apoptotic rates up to 24 hours were assessed using flow cytometry. The expression grades of Bcl-2, Akt, caspase-3 and Bax were observed through Western blot analysis.

RESULTS Vascular endothelial growth factor could cut 5α-DHT induced apoptosis down substantially in a concentration-dependent manner. The 5α-DHT induced decline in the rise of Bcl-2/Bax proportion and the increase in caspase-3 degrees were mostly reversed by using VEGF and the VEGF's anti-apoptotic actions were impeded through preventing the activation of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt.

CONCLUSION Vascular endothelial growth factor can protect CD200-rich and CD34-positive HFSCs from androgen induced apoptosis by means of the PI3K/Akt pathway.

© 2019 by the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, Inc. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.