Effects of dietary supplementation with EPA/DHA-enriched phospholipids combined with blue light irradiation on hair regeneration in mice

Aquatic product processing industry has a large scale in China, but the field of deep processing is weak. The functional lipids of aquatic products represented by EPA and DHA are important targets for deep processing of aquatic products. Hair loss originates from the imbalance between hair shaft regeneration and shedding. EPA/DHA-enriched triglyceride (EPA/DHA-TG) and blue light irradiation can both promote hair regeneration, however the effect of EPA/DHA-enriched phospholipids (EPA/DHA-PLs) on hair regeneration and its interaction with blue light irradiation are still unclear. In the present study, artificial hair removal mice were used to establish a hair regeneration model and to explore the effects of dietary supplementation with EPA/DHA-PLs combined with blue light irradiation on hair regeneration. After the back hair removal, male Kunming mice were randomly divided into four groups (n=8), including white light irradiation group, blue light irradiation group, and blue light irradiation combined with dietary supplementation with DHA-PLs or EPA-PLs group. The length and coverage of regenerating hair were measured, and HE staining was applied to observe the morphology and number of hair follicles. The mRNA and protein expression levels of genes related to hair regeneration were analyzed to preliminarily explore the possible underlying mechanism. The results showed that with the blue light irradiation, dietary supplementation with EPA/DHA-PLs could significantly increase hair length and coverage. Specially, the effect of DHA-PLs was better than EPA-PLs in the early stage of hair regeneration, and the effect of EPA-PLs is more prominent compared with DHA-PLs in the later stage, which might be related to the regulation of hair follicle cycle, the increased expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and the regulation of fibroblast growth factor 18 (Fgf18). This study suggested that dietary supplementation with EPA/DHA-PLs could enhance the promotion effect of blue light irradiation on mouse hair regeneration, which may provide a scientific basis for the use of aquatic functional lipids in the health maintenance of hair.