Supplemental or Herbal Potassium Channel Openers?

Are there any supplements or herbs that open potassium channel? Medical grade ones are easy to find on Google, the most popular one being minoxidil.
I am just curious if there is an alternative to minox since minox decreases collagen level in the long-term.

Changexpert wrote:Are there any supplements or herbs that open potassium channel? Medical grade ones are easy to find on Google, the most popular one being minoxidil.
I am just curious if there is an alternative to minox since minox decreases collagen level in the long-term.

Minoxidil in my opinion is never worth the risk, plus there are other topicals that are better without sides.

That said, a derivative of stevia is a potassium channel opener.

Planta Med. 2004 Feb;70(2):108-12.

Isosteviol as a potassium channel opener to lower intracellular calcium concentrations in cultured aortic smooth muscle cells.

Isosteviol is a derivative of stevioside, a constituent of Stevia rebaudiana, and is commonly used as a non-caloric sugar substitute in Japan and Brazil. The present study attempted to elucidate the role of potassium (K (+)) channels in the action of isosteviol on intracellular calcium concentrations ([Ca (2+)]i) in cultured vascular smooth muscle (A7r5) cells using the Ca (2+)-sensitive dye Fura-2 as an indicator. The increase of [Ca (2+)]i in A7r5 cells produced by vasopressin (1 micromol/L) or phenylephrine (1 micromol/L) was attenuated by isosteviol from 0.01 micromol/L to 10 micromol/L. The attenuation by isosteviol of the vasopressin- and phenylephrine-induced increase in [Ca (2+)]i was inhibited by glibenclamide, apamin and 4-aminopyridine but not by charybdotoxin. Furthermore, the inhibitory action of isosteviol on [Ca (2+)]i was blocked when A7r5 cells co-treated with glibenclamide and apamin in conjunction with 4-aminopyridine were present. Therefore, not only did the ATP-sensitive potassium (K (ATP)) channel affect the action of isosteviol on [Ca (2+)]i modulation in A7r5 cells, but also those on the small conductance calcium-activated potassium (SK (Ca)) channels and voltage-gated (Kv) channels. However, the blockers of large-conductance Ca (2+)-activated potassium channels failed to modify the inhibitory action of isosteviol on [Ca (2+)]i. The obtained results indicated that a decrease of [Ca (2+)]i in A7r5 cells by isosteviol is mainly mediated by the selective opening of K (ATP) channel or/and SK (Ca) channel. Alteration in the Kv channel also plays a critical role in the inhibitory action of isosteviol.

How is Isosteviol derived from stevia? I am assuming using stevia would not produce the same result as I have never heard of anybody trying stevia for hair loss...

Also, what are topicals that works better than minox?

Minoxidil might work as a growth stimulator because of other mechanisms, namely because it increases the PGE2 production.

magic_gro wrote:Minoxidil might work as a growth stimulator because of other mechanisms, namely because it increases the PGE2 production.

Yes, I was just referring to potassium channel opening effect of minox. I think potassium channel opening is a key to decalcification, giving a good scalp foundation for hair to grow and proliferate.