Gray hair / oxidative stress

ironjustice@aol.com · medicine forum Guru Joined: 28 Apr 2005 Posts: 1522

Towards a "free radical theory of graying": melanocyte apoptosis in the
aging human hair follicle is an indicator of oxidative stress induced
tissue damage.
Arck PC, Overall R, Spatz K, Liezman C, Handjiski B, Klapp BF,
Birch-Machin MA, Peters EM
FASEB J. 2006 May 24;

Oxidative stress is generated by a multitude of environmental and
endogenous challenges such as radiation, inflammation, or
psychoemotional stress. It also speeds the aging process. Graying is a
prominent but little understood feature of aging. Intriguingly, the
continuous melanin synthesis in the growing (anagen) hair follicle
generates high oxidative stress. We therefore hypothesize that hair
bulb melanocytes are especially susceptible to free radical-induced
aging. To test this hypothesis, we subjected human scalp skin anagen
hair follicles from graying individuals to macroscopic and
immunohistomorphometric analysis and organ culture. We found evidence
of melanocyte apoptosis and increased oxidative stress in the
pigmentary unit of graying hair follicles. The "common" deletion, a
marker mitochondrial DNA-deletion for accumulating oxidative stress
damage, occurred most prominently in graying hair follicles. Cultured
unpigmented hair follicles grew better than pigmented follicles of the
same donors. Finally, cultured pigmented hair follicles exposed to
exogenous oxidative stress (hydroquinone) showed increased melanocyte
apoptosis in the hair bulb. We conclude that oxidative stress is high
in hair follicle melanocytes and leads to their selective premature
aging and apoptosis. The graying hair follicle, therefore, offers a
unique model system to study oxidative stress and aging and to test
antiaging therapeutics in their ability to slow down or even stop this
process.--Arck, P. C., Overall, R., Spatz, K., Liezman, C., Handjiski,
B., Klapp, B. F., Birch-Machin, M. A., Peters, E. M. J. Towards a "free
radical theory of graying": melanocyte apoptosis in the aging human
hair follicle is an indicator of oxidative stress induced tissue
damage.

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I suppose this would give credence to Dr. Sullivan's reports of hair
turning back to its natural color after .. phlebotomy / bloodletting /
venesection.

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babawali@world.com · medicine forum addict Joined: 29 Apr 2006 Posts: 81

"I suppose this would give credence to Dr. Sullivan's reports of hair
turning back to its natural color after .. phlebotomy / bloodletting /
venesection."

No, as this article answers the question of iron and hair loss:

'Hair Loss May Be Caused By Iron Deficiency'

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,196057,00.html

"If you're losing hair, you may have an iron deficiency.

A review of 40 years of research shows that iron deficiency has a much
closer link to hair loss than most doctors realize. It may be the key to
restoring hair growth, Cleveland Clinic dermatologists find."

monty1945@lycos.com · medicine forum addict Joined: 02 Apr 2006 Posts: 93

This is classic. The foxnews story doesn't say anything definitive,
only that there are links, correlations, or associations. Now how do
we know that someone is "iron deficient?" If we take a blood sample
and there isn't as much iron there is may be that it has reacted and
caused free radical damage, and so it appears to be "low." After all,
it is very uncommon for Western men too have too little iron in the
diet. The study "ironjustice" cited is at the molecular level, and it
makes sense in the context of all the other evidence. The idea that
iron deficiency is the cause makes very little sense, and is only
supported by a test that makes even less sense. Most likely, the test
is still given because those in charge don't realize that if give more
iron to someone who has a lot of oxidative stress, you risk doing
terrible harm. And then if the harm manifests itself in a "disease,"
they say, "oh well, that's what happens when you have too litttle iron."

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