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eCAM Advance Access published online on August 19, 2009
eCAM, doi:10.1093/ecam/nep102
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© 2009 The Author(s).
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/uk/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Inhibition of Inflammatory Gene Expression in Keratinocytes Using a Composition Containing Carnitine, Thioctic Acid and Saw Palmetto Extract

Sridar Chittur1, Brian Parr1 and Geno Marcovici2

1State University of New York (SUNY), Albany, NY and 2Advanced Restoration Technologies, Inc., Phoenix, AZ, USA

Chronic inflammation of the hair follicle (HF) is considered a contributing factor in the pathogenesis of androgenetic alopecia (AGA). Previously, we clinically tested liposterolic extract of Serenoa repens (LSESr) and its glycoside, β-sitosterol, in subjects with AGA and showed a highly positive response to treatment. In this study, we sought to determine whether blockade of inflammation using a composition containing LSESr as well as two anti-inflammatory agents (carnitine and thioctic acid) could alter the expression of molecular markers of inflammation in a well-established in vitro system. Using a well-validated assay representative of HF keratinocytes, specifically, stimulation of cultured human keratinocyte cells in vitro, we measured changes in gene expression of a spectrum of well-known inflammatory markers. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) provided an inflammatory stimulus. In particular, we found that the composition effectively suppressed LPS-activated gene expression of chemokines, including CCL17, CXCL6 and LTB(4) associated with pathways involved in inflammation and apoptosis. Our data support the hypothesis that the test compound exhibits anti-inflammatory characteristics in a well-established in vitro assay representing HF keratinocyte gene expression. These findings suggest that 5-alpha reductase inhibitors combined with blockade of inflammatory processes could represent a novel two-pronged approach in the treatment of AGA with improved efficacy over current modalities.

Keywords: androgenetic alopecia – carnitine – hair follicle – inflammation – microarray – PropeciaTM – saw palmetto extract

For reprints and all correspondence: Geno Marcovici, PhD, Advanced Restoration Technologies, Inc., 9035 North 15th Place, Phoenix, AZ 85020, USA. Tel: +1 201 785 4061; Fax: +1 201-825-2243; E-mail: docgmarcovici{at}aol.com

Received December 29, 2008; accepted July 8, 2009


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