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Hair-loss treatment found in cinnamon
A component of the aromatic spice cinnamon caused hair follicles to sprout in the lab, with researchers now set on developing a novel treatment to reverse hair loss through the use of natural compounds.
Our hair is a marker of beauty, pride, and health integral to our identity and how others perceive us. Conversely, hair loss can cause a great deal of emotional strain and reduce our quality of life.
Hair restoration treatments are limited to either surgical (hair transplantation) or non-surgical (drugs) methods. So, finding a novel – preferably non-invasive – hair loss treatment is understandably high on some researchers’ lists. Researchers from the Yokohama National University (YNU) in Japan hope that cinnamon is that sought-after novel treatment.
They’d previously found that the so-called ‘love hormone’ oxytocin promoted hair growth by upregulating genes in the dermal papilla cells that are pivotal in hair formation, growth, and cycling. However, an issue with administering oxytocin through the skin so that it activates this hair-growth pathway is that it’s a relatively large molecule, so absorption is prevented.
Enter cinnamon or, more precisely, cinnamic acid from Chinese cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia). Cinnamon is already known to possess wide-ranging health benefits, including skin-anti-aging effects and was recently discovered to enhance skin elasticity through its effect on oxytocin receptors. Cinnamic acid, which is widely used in cosmetics, is a fraction of the molecular weight of oxytocin.
The researchers evaluated the effects of cinnamic acid on the expression of oxytocin and hair growth-related genes. Dermal papilla cells were cultured with different acid cinnamic concentrations, ranging from 0 to 2,000 µg/mL. Concentrations of 1,000 and 2,000 µg/mL were observed to cause cell damage and, above 500 µg/mL, considerably inhibited cell proliferation. However, at concentrations below 500 µg/mL, there was an observable dose-dependent increase in the expression of oxytocin and genes associated with hair growth.
A human hair follicle organoid (‘hair follicloid’) was developed that could regenerate hair shafts. Using an organoid, essentially a miniaturized organ, allowed the researchers to simultaneously expose diverse cells to the cinnamic acid treatment, providing larger, more dependable data. They tested 0, 50, 100 and 500 µg/mL concentrations on the follicloids for up to 10 days. Results showed a considerable increase in hair sprouting length by the eighth day at 100 and 500 µg/mL concentrations, suggesting that the optimal concentration fell somewhere in that range.
Compared with oxytocin’s effect on hair growth, which produced a 1.3-fold increase, cinnamic acid produced a comparable 1.25-fold increase.
“The identification of cinnamic acid as a specific component with hair growth-promoting properties holds great promise for enhancing the effectiveness of hair growth products,” said Tatsuto Kageyama, associate professor at YNU’s Faculty of Engineering and the study’s lead author. “In addition, the new understanding of the mechanism of hair growth-promoting effects mediated by oxytocin signaling will provide new insights [for] hair care science and help accelerate the search for new drugs targeting oxytocin receptor expression in the field of drug discovery.”
There’s no benefit to buying Chinese cinnamon in bulk at this stage. Further research will focus on experiments on mice with hair loss to determine the effectiveness of administering cinnamic acid through the skin, the dosage required, and whether it produces any side effects.
However, if you want to conduct your own at-home tests, cinnamic acid can also be found in citrus fruits, grapes, cocoa, spinach, celery and brassica vegetables, which include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, kale, and turnips.
注释：
aromatic: adj
表示"芳香的;芳香族化合物"，means "(chemistry) of or relating to or containing one or more benzene rings"，如：It is light, ,fruity aromatic and a perfect choice for ending a meal. 它是口感轻淡，圆润，芳香的，用于结束一顿饭完美的选择。They found that it was composed of various aromatic compounds and sulfides in addition to large quantities of carbon. 他们发现原来它的组成除了大量的碳，还有各类芳香族化合物和硫化物。
follicle: n
表示"卵泡；滤泡"，如：Sebaceous glands are attached to each hair follicle. 皮脂腺附着于每个毛囊上。It is said in medical science that an egg follicle can burst if it is too big. 医学上认为卵泡过大有可能破裂。
strain: v; n
表示" 拉紧；紧张"，means " stretch tightly by pulling"，如：Too heavy a load will strain the rope to its breaking point. 负载过重会把绳子拉紧到崩断的地步。
oxytocin: n
表示" 催产素（脑下垂体后叶荷尔蒙之一种）"，如：A large body of animal research pointed to oxytocin as a likely contributing factor. 许多动物研究指出，催产素可能是产生信任感的因子。
upregulate: v
表示"上调"，如：A green tea extract lowers plasma cholesterol by inhibiting cholesterol synthesis and upregulating the LDL receptor in the cholesterol-fed rabbit. 绿茶提出物可通过抑制胆固醇合成和低密度脂蛋白受体增量调节来降低胆固醇喂养家兔的血浆胆固醇含量。
dermal: adj
表示" 皮肤的；真皮的"，means "relating to or existing on or affecting the skin"，如：The doctor said permanent dermal pigmentation is a form of microsurgery. 医生说永久的皮肤染色是一种显微手术。
papilla: n
表示" 乳头；乳首；小乳头状突起"，如：The dermal papilla is a highly active group of cells. 毛乳头是细胞中高活性的团体。
proliferation: n
表示" 增殖；扩散"，means "growth by the rapid multiplication of parts"，如：Cellular cleavage and proliferation was markedly inhibited. 细胞的分裂、增殖受到明显抑制。
organoid: n; adj
表示" 类器官; 器官状的"，如：Organoid culture of hepatocytes for bioartificial liver 用于生物人工肝的肝细胞组织化培养
follicloid: adj
表示"毛囊状的"
shaft: n
表示" 柄；竖井"，means " long (usually wooden) stem of an arrow or spear"，如：In rotating, the shaft splashes oil up into the bearings. 当轴旋转的时候就把油溅入轴承。hair shaft: 毛杆
citrus：n
表示" 柑橘属果树；柑橘属果实"，如：Oranges and lemons are citrus fruits. 桔子和柠檬是柑桔属水果。
brassica: n
表示" 芸苔"，如：Brassica vegetables are a kind of important commercial crops and the germplasm resources are extraordinary abundant in China. 芸苔属蔬菜是一类重要的蔬菜作物，在我国种质资源丰富，大多数芸苔属蔬菜属异花授粉作物，杂种优势明显。
Brussel sprout: n
表示"抱子甘蓝"
collard green: n
表示"羽衣甘蓝"，如：Southerners in the U.S. prefer collard greens. 美国的南方人喜欢羽衣甘蓝。
中文简要说明：
我们的头发非常的浓密，为何如此？人类学家认为，可能是「性择」的影响，意思是，有着美丽健康的头发更吸引对象。似乎真的是如此，生发剂一直是相当庞大的需求，现在研究人员找到新的生发配方，在实验室里能促进毛囊重建，而且这项配方不罕见，来自中国传统香料之一的「肉桂」。
新阿特拉斯(New Altas)报导，这是日本横滨国立大学 (YNU) 的团队进行的研究，团队先前发现，所谓的「爱情激素」-催产素(oxytocin )，是生发的重要成份，它能刺激调整真皮乳头细胞(Dermal Papilla Cells)，就能促进头发生长，而真皮乳头细胞对头发的形成、生长和循环至关重要。
然而，往头皮抹上催产素，对激活毛发生长没有太大的帮助，因为催产素是一种大分子，无法被皮肤吸收。
这时候肉桂就要登场了，或更准确地说，是中国肉桂（Chinese cinnamon）里的肉桂酸(cinnamic )。其实早在生发用途之前，肉桂就已经相当受欢迎，它被认为具有广泛的健康益处，包括皮肤抗衰老。回到原话题，最近发现肉桂酸与催产素有相似的分子受体，这使得两种物质具有类似效果。
研究人员评估了肉桂酸、催产素和毛发生长相关基因表现。真皮乳头细胞以不同浓度的肉桂酸培养，范围为 0 至 2,000 µg/mL。结果发现，过高的浓度(1,000~2,000 µg/mL )，会导致细胞损伤；要是浓度下调到500 µg/mL， 则会显著抑制细胞增殖。然而，再下修到低于500 µg/mL 时，毛发生长相关的基因的表达，出现具可观察的依赖性增加。
与催产素对毛发生长的影响相比，催产素使毛发生长增加了1.3倍，而「代用品」的肉桂酸，表现则不遑多让，使毛发生长增加 1.25 倍。
该研究的主要作者、横滨国立大学工程学院影山尊人(Tatsuto Kageyama) 说：「肉桂酸被认定为具有促进毛发生长的效果，它很有机会成为生发产品的配方。」
「此外，对催产素信号介质敏锐的毛发生长促进作用机制，这项新认识也为护发科学提供新的见解，有助于针对催产素受体表达的新药。」
不过，这不代表就要大量购买肉桂抹头皮上，上面的实验提到，过高的浓度反而有伤害。现在进一步的研究将集中在脱毛小鼠身上进行实验，以确定透过皮肤施用肉桂酸的有效性、所需剂量，以及是否产生任何副作用。
然而，如果您想在家中进行测试，那么柑橘类水果、葡萄、可可、菠菜、芹菜，就含有肉桂酸，而且浓度不会过高。
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