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Research and Reviews: A Journal of Medicine

An Experimental Pathological Study on the Prophylactic Effect of N-acetylcysteine on Alopecia from Anti-cancer Drugs

  1. Kwang-U Jon
  2. Chol-Su Kim
  3. Chol-Jun Ho

Abstract

Prevention of alopecia from anti-cancer drug, Cyclophosphamide, is important for improving quality of life in patients with cancer. Empirically, when Cyclophosphamide (150 mg/kg) infused to rats subcutaneously and intraperitoneally, severe alopecia developed in rats infused intraperitoneally. Moreover, rats infused both of N-acetylcysteine and Cyclophosphamide showed less skin vasculature and scaring of hair follicle, larger caliber of hair follicle and hair, thicker medullary and cortical layers and epimysium, and denser hair follicle, as compared to rats infused Cyclophosphamide alone on day 15. Thus, N-acetylcysteine has preventive effect on alopecia from Cyclophosphamide, which can be useful for the treatment of cancer patients in clinical practice.

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