Flavonoids in Safflower Extract Reduce Cisplatin-Induced Damage to Human Follicle Dermal Papilla Cells by Inhibiting DNA Damage and Rad17/Chk1/Cdc25C Signaling

The study investigated the protective effects of safflower extract on human follicle dermal papilla cells (HFDPCs) against damage caused by the chemotherapy drug cisplatin. It was found that cisplatin reduced the viability of HFDPCs by increasing phospho-Rad17 levels and activating the Chk1/Cdc25C signaling pathway, which led to cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase. However, when combined with safflower extract and its flavonoids, the damaging signal transduction of Rad17/Chk1/Cdc25 in cisplatin-treated cells was effectively inhibited, and the number of cells in the G2/M phase was reduced. Additionally, safflower extract significantly reduced DNA damage in HFDPCs caused by cisplatin. The conclusion of the study is that safflower extract can serve as an adjuvant traditional Chinese medicine in chemotherapy to mitigate the adverse effects on normal hair follicle cells.