Induction of Cell Proliferation and Cell Death in Human Follicle Dermal Papilla Cells by Zinc Chloride

In the present investigation, the effects of zinc on the growth of human follicle dermal papilla cells were determined. A higher dose of zinc was found to significantly increase the proliferation of human follicle dermal papilla cells and the expression levels of cell cycle regulatory proteins. However, cell death, an increase in the apoptotic protein Bax, and caspase-3 activation were also observed in zinc-treated human follicle dermal papilla cells. The results from our present study suggest that the regulation of human follicle dermal papilla cells proliferation or death by zinc might be directly involved in hair regrowth in a narrow dose range.