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Hair Loss Study Abstract: Effect of finasteride, a 5 alpha-reductase inhibitor on prostate tissue androgens and prostate-specific antigen.
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Title
Effect of finasteride, a 5 alpha-reductase inhibitor on prostate tissue androgens and
prostate-specific antigen. Author
Geller J Address
Department of Medical Education, Mercy Hospital and Medical Center, San Diego,
California 92103-2180. Source
J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 71: 6, 1990 Dec, 1552-5
Abstract
Whole tissue dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and testosterone (T) concentrations have been
measured after finasteride, a 5 alpha-reductase inhibitor, and this was compared to other
methods of androgen inhibition. In 10 patients treated for 1 week with finasteride, whole
tissue DHT decreased to a mean of 0.302 ng/g. This value was significantly less than DHT
values in control patients (mean, 4.5 ng/g) and patients treated with either surgical
castration (mean, 1.14 ng/g), megestrol (160 mg/day) plus diethylstilbestrol (0.1 mg), or
megestrol plus ketoconazole (1200 mg/day; mean, 0.609). Tissue T levels were significantly
increased in finasteride-treated patients (1.18 ng/g) compared to a mean of 0.171 ng/g in
controls and 0.105 ng/g in megestrol-treated patients. Part of the prostate tissue
obtained at surgery was mechanically separated into epithelium and stroma. The epithelial
cells were homogenized, the supernate was assayed for prostate-specific antigen (PSA), an
androgen-dependent protein, and the pellet was assayed for DHT and DNA. Epithelial cell
PSA and DHT values significantly decreased in finasteride- and megestrol- plus
estrogen-treated patients compared to controls. However, the slope and position of the
regression lines for DHT vs. PSA in patients treated with megestrol plus low dose estrogen
(r = 0.79) differed significantly (P less than 0.05) from the regression line relating
epithelial DHT to PSA in patients treated with finasteride (r = 0.82). Since the
regression slope for finasteride described a greater increase in PSA per unit change in
DHT compared to the slope for megestrol plus estrogen, which lowers both DHT and T,
finasteride, despite its drastic lowering of DHT, may have a modest residual androgenic
effect related to its effect on tissue T.
Language of Publication English
Unique Identifier 91035878
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