Effects of oxytocin on the hair growth ability of dermal papilla cells

Oxytocin (OXT) is a neuropeptide hormone termed “love hormone” that is produced and released during childbirth and lactation. It is also produced in response to stimulation of the skin (e.g., during hugging and massaging) and music therapy, among others. The effects of OXT on various organs have been revealed in recent years; however, the relationship between hair follicles and OXT remains unclear. In this study, we examined the effects of OXT on dermal papilla (DP) cells, that control hair growth by secreting growth/regression signals. Gene expression analysis revealed that DP functional markers were significantly upregulated in DP cells treated with OXT. In addition, we tested the hair growth-promoting effects of OXT using in vitro hair follicle organoids. OXT promoted the growth of hair peg-like sprouting by upregulating the expression of hair growth-promoting factors including genes encoding vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA). This study highlights the positive effects of OXT in hair follicles and may assist in the development of new treatments for alopecia. We analyzed gene expression of human dermal papilla cells with/without 10 μM OXT treatment for 6 days.