Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase Mediates Ebastine-Induced Human Follicle Dermal Papilla Cell Proliferation

Ebastine, a second-generation histamine H1 receptor antagonist, was studied for its effects on human follicle dermal papilla cell (HFDPC) proliferation, which is relevant to hair regrowth. The study used WST-1 and bromodeoxyuridine incorporation assays to demonstrate that ebastine significantly increased HFDPC proliferation. This increase was associated with elevated expression of cell-cycle regulatory and antiapoptotic proteins, as well as increased levels of phospho-AKT and phospho-p44/42 ERK. The proliferation effect was completely reversed by blocking ERK kinase, suggesting that ebastine may promote hair regrowth through the ERK signaling pathway.