Interaction of Minoxidil with Pigment in Cells of the Hair Follicle: An Example of Binding Without Apparent Biological Effects
January 1992
in “
Skin Pharmacology and Physiology
”
TLDR Minoxidil binds to hair pigment but doesn't affect hair growth.
The study investigated the interaction of minoxidil with pigment in hair follicle cells, using radiolabeled minoxidil in mouse vibrissae follicles. It was found that minoxidil and its sulfate form accumulated in pigmented areas of the follicles, particularly in melanocytes and areas with high melanin concentrations. Despite the lower uptake in unpigmented follicles, minoxidil stimulated proliferation and differentiation in both pigmented and unpigmented follicles. The binding of minoxidil to melanin served as a targeting mechanism to pigmented follicles, but this interaction did not have a significant impact on hair growth. The study highlighted that drug measurements in hair could be influenced by pigmentation.
