Novel and Established Potassium Channel Openers Stimulate Hair Growth In Vitro: Implications for Their Modes of Action in Hair Follicles

In the 2005 study, researchers found that potassium channel openers such as minoxidil and diazoxide significantly stimulated hair follicle growth in vitro using red deer hair follicles. The study demonstrated that the growth effects were mediated through K_ATP channels, as shown by the inhibitory effects of tolbutamide and glibenclamide, which are potassium channel inhibitors. The findings suggest that potassium channel modulators act directly on hair follicles and that understanding the specific K_ATP channel subtypes could lead to the development of more selective and potent hair growth drugs. The study used a minimum of 5 animals and at least 6 follicles per animal for each treatment group, indicating a reasonable sample size for the in vitro experiments.