Effects of EGCG on hair growth of C57BL6 mouse alopecia model

Objective To observe the effects of EGCG on hair growth and hair cycle of C57BL6 mouse alopecia model. Methods We induced back hair of mice from anagen to telogen by depilation of hair shafts with wax ∶resin (1∶1) mixture. The mice were treated tropically once a day respectively using 8% EGCG, 5% minoxidil solution and alcohol for 21 days, meanwhile the changes of skin color and new hair growth characteristic were observed daily. Furthermore,the effects of EGCG on skin, hair follicle morphology and the number of hair follicles were evaluated by HE slice. Results Compared with the negative control group, the back skin color of the experimental group and the positive control group turned from pink to black 24h earlier and gray from black delay 48h, while the matrix liquid group and the negative control group have no significant differences. There are significant differences in experimental group, the positive control group and the negative control group on the number of hair follicles. Conclusion EGCG not only can induce and prolong anagen, but also postpone catagen in C57BL6 mice. Moreover, EGCG can stimulate an increase in the number of hair follicles in mice.