Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36827412›Full record

ArticlePloS one2023

Caizhixuan hair tonic regulates both apoptosis and the PI3K/Akt pathway to treat androgenetic alopecia.

Tingting Fang, Ruofei Xu, Shaopeng Sun, Yineng He, Yi Yan, Hongyang Fu, Hongbin Luo, Yi Cao, Maocan Tao

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
3.6field-weighted citation impact, top 8% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 12 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. The Extract ofCurrent issues in molecular biology · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Tingting FangThe First Clinical Medical College of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.ORCID 0000-0002-0062-808X
Ruofei XuLongyou County People's Hospital, Longyou, Zhejiang, China.
Shaopeng SunThe First Clinical Medical College of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Yineng HeThe First Clinical Medical College of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Yi YanThe First Clinical Medical College of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Hongyang FuThe First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Hongbin LuoThe First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Yi CaoThe First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Maocan TaoThe First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.ORCID 0000-0003-0530-9528
Zhejiang Chinese Medical University · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeCaizhixuan hair tonic (CZX) is a topical traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) preparation for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia (AGA). However, its active compounds and underlying mechanism for treating AGA are still unclear. The purpose of this study was to observe the effects of CZX on hair growth promotion in AGA mice and to explore the active components and mechanism.

methodsTestosterone propionate was administered subcutaneously to mice to establish an AGA mouse model. The therapeutic effects of CZX on AGA were evaluated by observing skin colour changes, hair growth time, and average hair length; calculating the hair growth score; and performing skin histopathological analysis. Following that, CZX chemical components were analysed by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF/MS). Network pharmacology was used to predict the major effects and possible mechanisms of CZX for the treatment of AGA. Furthermore, RT-qPCR and Western blotting were performed to assess the expression of key genes and proteins involved in PI3K/Akt and apoptosis pathways in order to validate CZX's predicted mechanism in AGA.

resultsCZX promoted hair growth and improved the pathological morphology of hair follicles in the skin. In UPLC-Q-TOF/MS analysis, 69 components from CZX were isolated. Based on network pharmacology, CZX alleviated AGA by regulating PI3K/Akt and apoptosis pathways. According to RT-qPCR and Western blotting, CZX upregulated the expressions of PI3K, Akt, and Bcl-2, while downregulating that of Bax and caspase-3.

conclusionsCZX promotes hair growth to treat AGA by regulating the PI3K/Akt and apoptosis pathways.

Indexed as

HairProto-Oncogene Proteins c-aktAlopeciaAnimalsApoptosisMicePhosphatidylinositol 3-KinasesPhosphatidylinositol 3-KinasesProto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt

Identifiers

PMID36827412
PMCPMC9956876
OpenAlexW4321766601

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.