Botulinum toxin type A (BTXA) has been shown to be effective in androgenetic alopecia (AGA), but its effect on dermal papillary cell (DPC) apoptosis is not yet clear. Non-coding RNA plays pivotal roles in the development of AGA. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanism of BTXA in dihydrotestosterone(DHT)-induced apoptosis of DPCs. The expressions of circ_0135062, miR-506-3p and Bax were detected by qRT-PCR. RNA pulldown and dual luciferase assays were used to analyze binding evidence. Cell viability was validated using the cell counting kit-8 assay, and cell apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry, TUNEL assay, and Western blot. Our results revealed that BTXA inhibited apoptosis of DPCs treated with DHT and that overexpression of circ_0135062 antagonized the protection of BTXA in DHT-treated DPCs. The miR-506-3p interacted with Bax, and miR-506-3p inhibited apoptosis of DPCs against DHT-mediated damage by silencing Bax. Additionally, circ_0135062 served as a miR-506-3p sponge and inhibited miR-506-3p targeting Bax expression. In conclusion, BTXA exerted an antiapoptotic effect on DHT-induced DPC injury via the circ_0135062/miR-506-3p/Bax axis.
