The Effects Of Latanoprost On The Hair Growth Of Cultured Hair Follicle, The Synthesis Of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor In Cultured Human Dermal Papilla Cells And The Melanogenesis Of Primary Cultured Human Epidermal Melanocytes

Latanoprost, a prostaglandin analog, is an effective and widely used medication in the treatment of open-angle glaucoma. Long-term clinical findings showed that latanoprost induced the manifestations of diffuse lash hypertrophy and hyperpigmention, and the hypertrichosis in intermediate hairs adjacent to the lash line and in regional adnexal and vellus hairs. A series of researches showed that latanoprost stimulated hair growth, which including: ①increasing the length, the density and the ratio of terminal hair/vellus hair in the lashes; ②inducing lash hypertrophy and hyperpigmentation; ③inducing a striking curling of the lashes; ④elevating the angle of lash to skin; ⑤inducing hypertrichosis in intermediate hairs adjacent to the lash line and vellus hairs. The exact mechanism related to latanoprost-induced hair growth is still unknown. It is postulated that the basic mechanisms may involve: ①stimulating the transition from telogen to anagen follicles; delaying the cessation of anagen; ②stimulating the gene expression of several growth factors and cytokines; ③regulating cell adhesion molecules; ④increasing synthesis of proteases.