Prevention and treatment of alopecia areata with quercetin in the C3H/HeJ mouse model

Abstract

Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune non-scarring hair loss disorder. AA can be acute, recurrent, or chronic. Current therapeutic options for AA are limited, and there is no effective prevention for recurrent AA. We have previously shown a correlation between the expression of HSP70 (HSPA1A/B), a heat shock protein involved in the inflammatory response, and the onset of AA in the C3H/HeJ mouse model. In this study, we tested the effects of quercetin, a bioflavonoid with anti-inflammatory properties, on AA development and HSP70 expression in the C3H/HeJ model. Mice with spontaneous AA were treated with subcutaneous quercetin or sham injections. Hair regrowth was observed in lesional areas in all the quercetin-treated mice, but in none of the sham-treated mice. In addition, non-alopecic C3H/HeJ mice were heat-treated to induce alopecia, along with quercetin or sham injections. Whereas 24% of the heat-treated mice with sham injections developed alopecia, none of the mice receiving quercetin injections did. As expected, the level of HSP70 expression in quercetin-treated areas was comparable to control. Furthermore, we showed that systemic delivery of quercetin by intraperitoneal injections prevented/reduced spontaneous onset of AA. Our results demonstrated that quercetin provided effective treatment for AA as well as prevention of onset of AA in the C3H/HeJ model, and warrant further clinical studies to determine whether quercetin may provide both treatment for preexisting AA and prevention of recurrent AA. The ready availability of quercetin as a dietary supplement may lead to increased patient compliance and positive outcomes for AA.

Fig. 1

Gross phenotype (a, b) and histology (c, d) of sham-treated (a, c) or quercetin-treated (b, d) C3H/HeJ mice with spontaneous alopecia areata. Arrows point to lymphocyte infiltrates (c)

Fig. 2

Gross phenotype (a) and histology (b, c) of sham-treated (a, b) or quercetin-treated (a, c) C3H/HeJ mice after heat treatment to induce alopecia areata. None of the quercetin-treated mice developed alopecia (a). Arrows point to lymphocyte infiltrates (b)

Fig. 3

Gross phenotype of C3H/HeJ mice that received daily intraperitoneal injections of vehicle or quercetin. a A vehicle-injected mouse with severe alopecia; b a quercetin-injected mouse with focal alopecia