Recently topical use of 2% Ketoconazole solution has been reported to have a therapeutic effect on androgenic alopecia. Minoxidil is a vasodilatory medication used primarily as antihypertensive drug. It was discovered to have the side effect of hair growth and reversing baldness. Tretinoin is commonly used topically for acne treatment and in the treatment of photoaging. It is used by some as hair loss treatment. Objective. To compare the stimulatory effect of Ketoconazole, Minoxidil, and Minoxidil with Tretinoin on hair growth in a mouse model. Materials and Methods. Coat hairs on the dorsal skin of seven weeks old male mice were gently clipped and then stained by using commercial dye. These mice were divided into four groups each of five treated with topical application of ethanol 95%, Ketoconazole solution 2%, Minoxidil solution 5%, and Minoxidil with Tretinoin solution 0.1%, respectively. The drugs were applied once daily for three weeks, the clipped area was photographed, and the ratio of regrown coat area was calculated. Results. The results demonstrated that Ketoconazole, Minoxidil, and Minoxidil with Tretinoin had a significant stimulatory effect on hair growth compared with the control group and Minoxidil was the most effective drug among them. 1. Introduction Androgenic alopecia is a partial or complete loss of hair that occurs in a progressive pattern in genetically predisposed individuals [1]. A variety of genetic and environmental factors likely play a role in androgenic alopecia, and most of contributing factors remain unknown. The age at onset of androgenic alopecia differs but occurs usually in mid-twenties. The prevalence and severity of androgenic alopecia increase directly with age [2]. The basis of androgenic alopecia is a progressive decrease in the density of terminal hairs and concurrent increase in density of vellus hairs [3]. In effect, terminal hairs are turned off and are transformed into vellus hairs, and this effect is due to hair follicle miniaturization [4], which is associated with substantial reduction in hair diameter. Although the mechanisms of these changes have not been established definitively, male pattern baldness is known to depend on androgens, in particular the dihydrotestosterone DHT [5]. DHT is synthesized from testosterone by 5 -reductase enzyme type-1 and type-2, and these enzymes are found on the nuclear membranes [6]. Ketoconazole (KCZ) is an imidazole antifungal agent. Long term use of 2% KCZ was reported to be effective against androgenic alopecia in patients without seborrheic dermatitis and dandruff
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