ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Pharmacol.
Sec. Experimental Pharmacology and Drug Discovery
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1590648
This article is part of the Research TopicPrevention and Treatment of Skin DiseasesView all 12 articles
Periplaneta americana Extract (L.) Promotes Hair Regrowth in Alopecia Areata Mice by Reducing Inflammation and Modulating Skin Microbiota
Provisionally accepted
Tangfei Guan1,2
Xin Yang1Canhui Hong1Jiali Zhu1
Pei Yun Xiao1
Yongshou Yang1Chenggui Zhang1
Zhengchun He1*- 1Dali University, Dali, China
- 2Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
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Alopecia areata (AA), an autoimmune hair-loss disease due to follicular inflammatory cell infiltration, lacks an ideal cure. The Periplaneta Americana (PA) extract ( PA-011), a traditional Chinese medicine with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, tissue-repair-promoting, and immune-regulating properties, was studied for its AA-treating effects. Guided by network pharmacology, AA model mice were treated with PA-011. Hair growth, skin tissue, inflammatory factors, and Wnt protein levels were examined. Transcriptomics, metabolomics, and 16S rRNA sequencing explored the hair-growth-promoting mechanisms. Network pharmacology showed PA-011 could regulate AA-related targets and pathways. PA-011 intervention promoted hair follicle cell proliferation and hair growth in AA mice, reduced skin TNF-α, IL-23, and VCAM-1 expression. Transcriptomics and WB analysis indicated PA-011 downregulated inflammatory genes, activated Wnt3a, and modulated the TGF-β pathway.Metabolomics found PA-011 regulated metabolic pathways. 16S rRNA analysis showed it reversed AA-induced skin microbiota changes, inhibiting pathogens and promoting probiotics.Multi-omics analysis revealed PA-011 regulated skin microbiota and metabolic balance for hair growth. In conclusion, PA-011 alleviates AA by reducing skin inflammation and modulating skin microbiota, suggesting its potential as an AA therapeutic.
Keywords: Alopecia Areata, Periplaneta americana (L.) extract, Network Pharmacology, Transcriptomics, Metabolomics, microbiomics
Received: 10 Mar 2025; Accepted: 21 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Guan, Yang, Hong, Zhu, Xiao, Yang, Zhang and He. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Zhengchun He, Dali University, Dali, China
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