Finasteride Treatment and Neuroactive Steroid Formation

January 2009 in “ PubMed ”

Marketa Duskova, Martin Hill, M. Hanus, Michaela Matoušková, Luboslav Stárka

finasteride 5alpha-reductase inhibitor testosterone progesterone neuroactive steroids GABAA receptors NMAD receptors Propecia

Studysummary This study found that finasteride treatment in men with benign prostate hyperplasia significantly altered steroid hormone profiles and may contribute to depressive symptoms by affecting neuroactive steroid levels.

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Research cited in this study

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research GABAergic Neurosteroids Mediate the Effects of Ethanol on Long-Term Potentiation in Rat Hippocampal Slices

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research Inhibition of Progesterone Metabolism Mimics the Effect of Progesterone Withdrawal on Forced Swim Test Immobility

60 citations , June 2007 in “Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior”

In this study, withdrawal from progesterone and treatment with finasteride were associated with increased signs of depression-like behavior in female mice, suggesting decreased allopregnanolone levels may play a role.

research The Anxiolytic Effect of Pregnancy in Rats Is Reversed by Finasteride

26 citations , November 2006 in “Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior”

Pregnancy reduces anxiety in rats, but finasteride reverses this effect.

research Finasteride Induced Depression: A Prospective Study

99 citations , October 2006 in “BMC clinical pharmacology”

This preliminary study suggests that finasteride might cause depressive symptoms, indicating the need for cautious prescription in patients at high risk for depression.

research A New Look at the 5-Alpha-Reductase Inhibitor Finasteride

137 citations , March 2006 in “Cns Drug Reviews”

This review explores finasteride's effects on neuroactive steroid levels and their potential influence on disorders like depression and alcohol withdrawal but reports no new clinical findings.

research Depression Related to Finasteride Administration for Androgenetic Alopecia

88 citations , October 2002 in “Journal of Dermatology”

In this study, 19 patients treated with finasteride for androgenetic alopecia developed moderate to severe depression, which resolved after stopping the medication, suggesting an association between finasteride and mood disturbances.

research Changes in Progesterone Metabolites in the Hippocampus Can Modulate Open Field and Forced Swim Test Behavior of Proestrous Rats

269 citations , May 2002 in “Hormones and Behavior”

Lowering 3α,5α-THP in the hippocampus increases anxiety and depression in proestrous rats.

research Clinical and Endocrine Effects of Finasteride, a 5α-Reductase Inhibitor, in Women with Idiopathic Hirsutism

70 citations , August 1995 in “Fertility and Sterility”

In this study, women with idiopathic hirsutism who took finasteride for 9 months experienced a significant reduction in hirsutism scores compared to those receiving a placebo, with minimal side effects.

Altered Brain And Pituitary Androgen Metabolism By Prenatal, Perinatal Or Pre- And Postnatal Finasteride, Flutamide Or Dihydrotestosterone Treatment In Juvenile Male Rats

research Altered Brain And Pituitary Androgen Metabolism By Prenatal, Perinatal Or Pre- And Postnatal Finasteride, Flutamide Or Dihydrotestosterone Treatment In Juvenile Male Rats

26 citations , November 1993 in “Progress in Neuro-psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry”

This study reported that prenatal exposure to dihydrotestosterone altered long-term androgen metabolism in juvenile male rats, suggesting different regulatory mechanisms for 5a-reductase in hypothalamic versus pituitary tissues.

C19 and C21 5β/5α Metabolite Ratios in Subjects Treated with the 5α-Reductase Inhibitor Finasteride: Comparison of Male Pseudohermaphrodites with Inherited 5α-Reductase Deficiency

research C19 and C21 5β/5α Metabolite Ratios in Subjects Treated with the 5α-Reductase Inhibitor Finasteride: Comparison of Male Pseudohermaphrodites with Inherited 5α-Reductase Deficiency

55 citations , March 1990 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism”

This study found that finasteride decreased plasma dihydrotestosterone levels and altered steroid metabolism, similar to the profile of male pseudohermaphrodites with inherited 5a-reductase deficiency.