5 replies to this topic

[1kgcoffee]

I was reading sci.life-extension this morning and came across this post by kofi:
http://groups.google...d7e6a980d?hl=en

"I think acetyl-l-carnitine is an excellent suggestion. It can, however,
directly stoke your neurotrophins which then affects cancer risk
(raising it for some, lowering it for others) and, of course, it sends
hair follicles into premature catagen. So high doses of ALCAR (~
3g/daily) might cause hair loss and/or brain tumors. Then again,
magnesium deficiency is no picnic either. It raises substance P levels
which then exacerbates neuropathy and allergic inflammation (which
should also cause hair loss through excessive mast cell degranulation).
Other carnitines might accomplish the same goal without the same side
effects. "

News to me! I thought it was supposed to improve hair growth. Any comments?

Edited by 1kgcoffee, 08 August 2009 - 06:59 PM.

[Blue]

Sources for the claimed effects, please.

[1kgcoffee]

Sources for the claimed effects, please.

His response:
"As I've pointed out in old articles, long-term use of acetyl-l-carnitine
regenerates peripheral nerves by upregulating the p75 low-affinity nerve
growth factor receptor. p75 is involved in cross-talk between hair
follicles and mast cells during the process of catagen. "

[niner]

Sources for the claimed effects, please.

His response:
"As I've pointed out in old articles, long-term use of acetyl-l-carnitine
regenerates peripheral nerves by upregulating the p75 low-affinity nerve
growth factor receptor. p75 is involved in cross-talk between hair
follicles and mast cells during the process of catagen. "

Hmm. I wonder how he knows that? Regeneration of peripheral nerves sounds like a good thing... These might all be real effects, but the magnitudes of them might be such that they are irrelevant. I don't really know. Considering the effect that 1 gram/d ALCAR has on me, I don't really see a big need to go higher. But 3 grams leading to brain tumors? For that I'd like to see a reference.

[Arc]

Well I've been using ALCAR for several months now every day, at multigram doses. So as soon as my hair starts falling out I'll let everyone know.

I did a quick search however:

p75 Neurotrophin Receptor-Mediated Signaling Promotes Human Hair Follicle Regression (Catagen).

Peters EM, Stieglitz MG, Liezman C, Overall RW, Nakamura M, Hagen E, Klapp BF, Arck P, Paus R.

Biomedical Research Center, Room No. 2.0549, Charité Campus Virchow Hospital, Augustenburger Platz 1, D-13353 Berlin, Germany. eva.peters@charite.de

Nerve growth factor (NGF) and its apoptosis-promoting low-affinity receptor (p75NTR) regulate murine hair cycling. However, it is unknown whether human hair growth is also controlled through p75NTR, its high-affinity ligand pro-NGF, and/or the growth-promoting high-affinity NGF receptor tyrosine kinase A (TrkA). In microdissected human scalp anagen hair bulbs, mRNA for NGF, pro-NGF, p75NTR, and TrkA was transcribed. Immunohistomorphometry and in situ hybridization detected strong NGF and pro-NGF expression in terminally differentiating inner root sheath keratinocytes, whereas TrkA was co-expressed with p75NTR in basal and suprabasal outer root sheath keratinocytes. During spontaneous catagen development of organ-cultured human anagen hair follicles, p75NTR mRNA levels rose, and p75NTR and pro-NGF immunoreactivity increased dramatically in involuting compartments primarily devoid of TrkA expression. Here, TUNEL(+) apoptotic cells showed prominent p75NTR expression. Joint pro-NGF/NGF administration inhibited hair shaft elongation and accelerated catagen development in culture, which was antagonized by co-administration of p75NTR-blocking antibodies. In addition, mRNA and protein expression of transforming growth factor-beta2 increased early during spontaneous catagen development, and its neutralization blocked pro-NGF/NGF-dependent hair growth inhibition. Our findings suggest that pro-NGF/NGF interacts with transforming growth factor-beta2 and p75NTR to terminate anagen in human hair follicles, implying that p75NTR blockade may alleviate hair growth disorders characterized by excessive catagen development.

PMID: 16400025 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

I couldn't find anything linking ALCAR with overexpression/upregulation of p75 in humans though. I did find a rat study that said treatment brought p75 levels of aged rats up to the level of young rats however.

I don't see how ALCAR would pose a problem with hair loss unless you were already genetically predisposed to having elevated p75 levels OR someone finds me a study that indeed shows that ALCAR upregulates p75 over normal levels...

[Chaos Theory]

Would this mean that anything increasing NGF would lead to more rapid hair loss? I've recently experienced some very rapid hair loss at 26 and I have been using selegiline, wellbutrin, and ALCAR. I assumed it was the wellbutrin but I have stopped all three.