Protective Effect of Superoxide Dismutase Against Hair Graying in a Mouse Model

The study investigated the protective effect of superoxide dismutase (SOD) against hair graying in mice. Mice with black hair were treated with a SOD-containing gel on one side of their dorsum and a SOD-free gel on the other side before exposure to psoralen and UV-A light. The SOD-treated side retained black hair, while the untreated side turned gray or white in 27 out of 30 animals. Both 0.01% and 0.1% SOD concentrations were effective, whereas heat-inactivated SOD was not. The study demonstrated that SOD penetrated the skin and protected melanocyte DNA from damage caused by superoxide radicals, suggesting that antioxidants like SOD could influence hair graying caused by photosensitization.