CS - How Are PGD2, PGE2, SOD, And GSH Related?

To stop hair loss and promote hair growth, what combination of PGD2, PGE2, SOD, and GSH are needed? I ask this because of an interesting study I found.

"Another mechanism by which glutamine may help decrease mucous membrane injury induced by radiation is by altering the inflammatory response. Glutamine has been shown to be a regulator of glutathione, a ubiquitous antioxidant.12 Glutathione is an antagonist to prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production, which is a strong inflammatory mediator. Klimberg et al.13 used a rat breast cancer model to show that glutamine-supplemented rats with mammary tumors had greater glutamine and glutathione concentrations, and decreased PGE2 production, than rats that received no glutamine. In another study, PGE2 levels from tissues obtained by serial mucosal biopsies from dogs experiencing acute radiation effects increased with increasing inflammation (Anderson et al., personnel communication, 1997) The highest concentrations were documented when radiation-induced mucositis was at its worst. It is possible that oral glutamine supplementation in canine patients experiencing radiation-induced mucositis may alter tissue or plasma PGE2 concentrations."

Source: http://www.jarvm.com/articles/Vol1Iss4/Lana.htm

I thought GSH and SOD levels need to be high to promote hair growth as they deplete not only with age, but also with stress and other external factors. On the other hand, there are studies that say raised PGD2 level was found in bald men's scalp. AFAIK, one mechanism how finasteride works for hair loss is to reduce PGD2 levels in the scalp. Also, minoxidil increases PGE2 level, which promotes hair growth, but also causes inflammation. Some people say that lowering PGD2 (prevents inflammation) and increasing PGE2 (promotes hair growth) are essential for stopping hair loss.

According to the study I posted above, it looks like glutathione reduces PGE2 level, which may not be good for promoting hair growth. I am confused as two theories are contradicting each other. Could CS or anybody else explain what's needed for stopping hair loss and promoting hair growth? I would sincerely appreciate your response.

Changexpert - There are some past threads on this subject, although they might be difficult to find.

Some of the "bad" inflammatory pathways are not always 100% negative and when they are inhibited, it is never 100% blocked. So yes, it is quite true that most things that reduce PGD2 often also decrease PGE2, but fortunately this does not cause hair loss.

All that said, things in isolation usually muddy the picture. For example, zinc can affect changes in PGE2.

Also consider that PGE2 is derived more directly from arachidonic acid (AA) conversion, and in most people this amount is already excessive.

What might be more lacking is sufficient PGE1, the delta-6-desaturase enzyme.  Several things can affect this pathway (diet, or lack of B6, Mg, Zn, trans-fatty acids, etc.).

just block the actual culprit, not everything up the web of production of the prostaglandins. Arachadonic acid wasn't found to be the issue, PTGDS enzyme which produces PGD2 locally in the scalp was. Hitting AA systemically will have minimal results, given that the enzyme is something like 7x upregulated in the scalp.

CausticSymmetry wrote:Changexpert - There are some past threads on this subject, although they might be difficult to find.

Some of the "bad" inflammatory pathways are not always 100% negative and when they are inhibited, it is never 100% blocked. So yes, it is quite true that most things that reduce PGD2 often also decrease PGE2, but fortunately this does not cause hair loss.

All that said, things in isolation usually muddy the picture. For example, zinc can affect changes in PGE2.

Also consider that PGE2 is derived more directly from arachidonic acid (AA) conversion, and in most people this amount is already excessive.

What might be more lacking is sufficient PGE1, the delta-6-desaturase enzyme.  Several things can affect this pathway (diet, or lack of B6, Mg, Zn, trans-fatty acids, etc.).

So increase PGE1, decrease PGD2 (which usually brings PGE2 down), while keeping up GSH and SOD for optimal growth and less shedding?

What led me to this question was the use of niacin. I took 100 mg of pure niacin (flush version) last night and it gave me tremendous amount of heat and blood vessel expansion. I could literally feel the heat and blood going through my entire scalp. Use of niacin is controversial in relationship to PGD2/PGE2. I think whether niacin is useful or not really depends on the genetics more than anything.

LawOfThelema wrote:just block the actual culprit, not everything up the web of production of the prostaglandins.  Arachadonic acid wasn't found to be the issue, PTGDS enzyme which produces PGD2 locally in the scalp was.  Hitting AA systemically will have minimal results, given that the enzyme is something like 7x upregulated in the scalp.

So what supplements or treatments downregulates PTGDS?

Changexpert - Niacin helps hair, although paradoxically it does increase PGD2. Quercetin (which is in Antioxidant boost), inhibits the PGD2 rise from flush niacin.

With respect to PTGDS (prostaglandin D2 synthase), my favorite way to inhibit this is a combination of Ecklonia Cava and Tocotrienols

There is a synergy that augments the silencing of PTGDs

On a side note, nutrients such as vitamins A, vitamin E family/tocotrienols, foalte, essential metals (zinc and magnesium) play an important role in the phospholipid metabolism/essential fatty acids.

Changexpert wrote:

LawOfThelema wrote:just block the actual culprit, not everything up the web of production of the prostaglandins.  Arachadonic acid wasn't found to be the issue, PTGDS enzyme which produces PGD2 locally in the scalp was.  Hitting AA systemically will have minimal results, given that the enzyme is something like 7x upregulated in the scalp.

So what supplements or treatments downregulates PTGDS?

I don't think there's very many known, since its only recently that prostaglandin's role in disease has been of increased interest.  There are some known cyclooxegenase inhibitors, but nothing huge will be seen of those since they globally impact all the prostaglandin production including the ones that are hair growth promoting.  This is why something like aspirin has a globally neutral effect on hair — it reduces both the growth inhibiting and growth promoting prostenoids.

My approach is topical blocking of the DP2 / CRTh2 receptor, not systemic enzyme inhibition either COX-2 or otherwise.  To that end I currently use OC459 every other day topically at around 10-20 mg.  I don't want to affect systemically PGD2.  Its involved in sleep regulation, and it is actually anti-inflammatory in some circumstances (in animal model it decreases inflammation in pleural effusion—this could be why the DP2 receptor blockers dont work as well as they hoped against asthma, if PGD2 is both inflammatory and antiinflammatory depending on the circumstance)



This may be of interest:

http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6882/14/221