9 Role of 5α-reductase in health and disease

The document from 1994 examines the role of 5α-reductase in health and disease, particularly in androgen action and the clinical syndrome of 5α-reductase deficiency. It explains that 5α-reductase is crucial for converting testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which is necessary for male sexual development. Individuals with 5α-reductase deficiency have ambiguous genitalia and exhibit female patterns of body hair, but experience virilization at puberty. The document also discusses the cloning of two isoforms of 5α-reductase and the therapeutic potential of 5α-reductase inhibitors in conditions like benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH), prostatic carcinoma, acne, hirsutism, and male-pattern baldness. It concludes that while testosterone can facilitate some androgen-dependent skin responses, DHT is required for the full expression of male-pattern body hair growth and baldness, and that the understanding of 5α-reductase's biological and clinical roles is expanding due to molecular biological methods and the development of specific enzyme inhibitors.