Erythropoietin promotes hair shaft growth in cultured human hair follicles and modulates hair growth in mice.

J Dermatol Sci. 2010 May 19.

Erythropoietin promotes hair shaft growth in cultured human hair follicles and modulates hair growth in mice.Kang BM, Shin SH, Kwack MH, Shin H, Oh JW, Kim J, Moon C, Moon C, Kim JC, Kim MK, Sung YK.

Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, 101 Dong-In-Dong, Jung-Gu, Daegu 700-422, Republic of Korea.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have shown that erythropoietin (EPO)/erythropoietin receptor (EPOR) signaling exist in both human and mouse hair follicles (HFs). OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether dermal papilla cells (DPCs) express functional EPOR and, if so, to investigate effects of EPO on hair shaft growth in cultured human scalp hair follicles and hair growth in mice. METHODS: EPOR expression in DPCs and follicular keratinocytes was examined by RT-PCR and immunoblot. Phosphorylation of EPOR signaling pathway mediators by EPO treatment was examined by immunoblot. MTT assay was employed to check cell viability after EPO treatment. Hair shaft growth was measured in the absence or presence of EPO and matrix keratinocyte proliferation was examined by Ki-67 immunostaining in cultured hair follicles. Agarose beads containing EPO were implanted into dorsal skin of C57BL/6 mice to examine effects of EPO on hair growth in vivo. RESULTS: EPOR mRNA and protein are expressed in cultured human DPCs. EPOR signaling pathway mediators such as EPOR and Akt are phosphorylated by EPO in DPCs. EPO significantly promoted the growth of DPCs and elongated hair shafts with increased proliferation of matrix keratinocytes in cultured human hair follicles. In addition, EPO not only promoted anagen induction from telogen but also prolonged anagen phase. CONCLUSIONS: EPO may modulate hair growth by stimulating DPCs that express functional EPOR. Copyright 2010 Japanese Society for Investigative Dermatology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

CS
Are you considering adding this to your regimen at any point?
There are a number of different sources in supplement form, which would you recommend and how should it be properly administered?


http://www.epogen.com/

action<reaction - While kidney dialysis patients are given erythropoietin supplementation, epogen is quite a bit different, it is a drug to boost red blood cells due to anemia of these types.

As far as us, taking vitamin D3 may boost erythropoietin levels. At least it does in dialysis patients.

Taking erythropoietin itself is very risky and is associated with heart attack.

One supplement that apparently does increase erythropoietin levels is Echinacea.

Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2007 Aug;17(4):378-90.

The effect of 4 wk of oral echinacea supplementation on serum erythropoietin and indices of erythropoietic status.
Whitehead MT, Martin TD, Scheett TP, Webster MJ.

Department of Health and Human Performance, Northwestern State University, Natchitoches, LA 71497, USA.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether echinacea supplementation results in alterations of erythroid growth factors and erythropoietic status. Twenty-four men age 24.9 +/- 4.2 y, height 1.7 +/- 0.8 m, weight 87.9 +/- 14.6 kg, and 19.3% +/- 6.5% body fat were grouped using a double-blind design and self- administered an 8000-mg/d dose of either echinacea (ECH) or placebo (PLA) in 5 x 400 mg x 4 times/d for 28 d. Blood samples were collected and analyzed for red blood cells (RBCs), hematocrit (Hct), hemoglobin (Hb), mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin content, prostaglandin E2, ferritin, erythropoietin (EPO), interleukin 3 (IL-3), and granulocyte-macrophage-colony-stimulating factor using automated flow cytometry and ELISA. ANOVA was used to determine significant differences (P ? 0.05). EPO was greater (P < 0.001) in ECH at Days 7, 14, and 21 and reflected a 44%, 63%, and 36% increase, respectively. IL-3 was greater (P = 0.011) in ECH at Days 14 and 21, which indicated a 65% and 73% increase, respectively. These data indicate that ECH supplementation resulted in an increase in EPO and IL-3 but did not significantly alter RBCs, Hb, or Hct.

This is absolutely great information, thanks again CS.

Hoping that I can share as much good news with you as you have with this forum once I start trying densiti.

more benefits of echinacea

http://www.immortalhair.org/apps/blog/show/1665095-can-echinacea-help-prevent-dermal-fibrosis-