A New Look at the 5?-Reductase Inhibitor Finasteride
March 2006
in “Cns Drug Reviews”
TLDR Finasteride treats enlarged prostate and hair loss, but may cause side effects in some patients.
This document from 2006 discusses the use of finasteride, a 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor, in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia and male pattern hair loss. It also explores the impact of finasteride on neuroactive steroid levels and behavior, as well as its potential uses beyond its current clinical applications. The document highlights preclinical research involving animal models of anxiety and depression and clinical investigations with findings relevant to depression, seizure susceptibility, sexual behavior, and alcohol-related behaviors. Finasteride has been useful in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia and androgenetic alopecia, but side effects have been reported in a small percentage of patients.
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Cited in this study
research Finasteride Blocks the Reduction in Ictal Activity Produced by Exogenous Estrous Cyclicity
research Sex differences in the effect of finasteride on acute ethanol withdrawal severity in C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice
Finasteride reduces alcohol withdrawal severity in male mice but increases it in female mice.
research Treatment with and withdrawal from finasteride alter ethanol intake patterns in male C57BL/6J mice: Potential role of endogenous neurosteroids?
Finasteride affects alcohol intake in male mice, possibly due to neurosteroids.
research GABRA2 Alleles Moderate the Subjective Effects of Alcohol, Which are Attenuated by Finasteride
GABRA2 gene variations impact alcohol response, and hair loss medication finasteride reduces some effects.
research Effects of Finasteride on Chronic and Acute Ethanol Withdrawal Severity in the WSP and WSR Selected Lines
Finasteride reduces alcohol withdrawal severity and anxiety in mice, but may increase withdrawal severity in some cases.
research Evaluation and treatment of male and female pattern hair loss
Early diagnosis and treatment, using finasteride, minoxidil, or hair transplantation, improves hair loss outcomes.
research DIHYDROTESTOSTERONE AND THE PROSTATE: THE SCIENTIFIC RATIONALE FOR 5α-REDUCTASE INHIBITORS IN THE TREATMENT OF BENIGN PROSTATIC HYPERPLASIA
Drugs that block DHT production can effectively treat enlarged prostate and improve urinary issues with some sexual side effects.
research Intermittent low-dose finasteride is as effective as daily administration for the treatment of hirsute women
Intermittent low-dose finasteride works as well as daily use for treating excessive hair growth in women.
research Interaction of chronic ethanol exposure and finasteride: sex and strain differences
Finasteride reduces alcohol withdrawal effects, especially in female mice.
research Relative Safety and Efficacy of Finasteride for Treatment of Hirsutism
Finasteride reduces hirsutism effectively with fewer side effects but is a second-choice treatment due to safety concerns.
research Finasteride in the treatment of alopecia
Finasteride effectively treats male pattern baldness, improving hair growth and density.
research Finasteride Treatment of Patterned Hair Loss in Normoandrogenic Postmenopausal Women
Finasteride can slow hair loss and promote growth in postmenopausal women.
research Low-dose (2.5 mg/day) finasteride treatment in hirsutism
Low-dose finasteride effectively reduces hirsutism without serious side-effects.
research Finasteride inhibits the progesterone-induced spike-wave discharges in a genetic model of absence epilepsy
Finasteride blocks progesterone's effect on absence seizures in rats.
research Use of cyproterone acetate, finasteride, and spironolactone to treat idiopathic hirsutism
All three treatments reduce hirsutism, but spironolactone works best long-term.
research Progesterone enhances ethanol-induced modulation of mesocortical dopamine neurons: antagonism by finasteride
Progesterone boosts alcohol's effect on brain, finasteride counters it.
research Depression Circumstantially Related to the Administration of Finasteride for Androgenetic Alopecia
Finasteride for hair loss may cause depression, affecting sleep and relationships.
research Pharmacokinetic parameters and mechanisms of inhibition of rat type 1 and 2 steroid 5α-reductases: determinants for different in vivo activities of GI198745 and finasteride in the rat 3 3Abbreviations: r5AR1, rat 5α-reductase 1; r5AR2, rat 5α-reductase 2; and DHT, dihydrotestosterone.
GI198745 is more potent and longer-lasting than finasteride, potentially better for treating hair loss.
research Clinical application of 5α-reductase inhibitors
research Comparison of Diane 35 and Diane 35 plus finasteride in the treatment of hirsutism
Diane 35 plus finasteride is more effective for treating hirsutism.
research A prospective, randomized trial comparing flutamide (250 mg/d) and finasteride (5 mg/d) in the treatment of hirsutism
Flutamide reduces hair growth better but has more side effects.
research Finasteride, a Type 2 5α-reductase inhibitor, in the treatment of men with androgenetic alopecia
Finasteride effectively treats male hair loss, improving growth and density.
research Finasteride, a 5alpha-reductase inhibitor, blocks the anticonvulsant activity of progesterone in mice.
Finasteride, a drug, can block the seizure-preventing effects of a hormone called progesterone in mice.
research A model for the turnover of dihydrotestosterone in the presence of the irreversible 5α-reductase inhibitors GI198745 and finasteride
Both drugs lower DHT levels, with GI198745 being more effective.
research 5α-Reductase Inhibitors, Chemical and Clinical Models
Researchers developed a model to predict how well certain compounds can block an enzyme related to hair loss and prostate issues, suggesting a 50 mg dose of finasteride might be effective based on lab and body data.
research Inhibition of rat α-reductases by finasteride: Evidence for isozyme differences in the mechanism of inhibition
Finasteride effectively blocks rat enzymes, but with varying methods and strength.
research Clinical Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Finasteride
Finasteride helps regrow hair and shrink prostate by reducing DHT, with some sexual side effects.
![Synthesis of 5,6,6-[2H3]finasteride and quantitative determination of finasteride in human plasma at picogram level by an isotope-dilution mass spectrometric method](/images/research/0026b639-99a8-455a-a986-c39aa65abfa9/small/2087.jpg)
research Synthesis of 5,6,6-[2H3]finasteride and quantitative determination of finasteride in human plasma at picogram level by an isotope-dilution mass spectrometric method
Accurate method measures finasteride levels in human plasma using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
research Clinical and endocrine effects of finasteride, a 5α-reductase inhibitor, in women with idiopathic hirsutism
Finasteride reduces hairiness and androgen levels in women with unexplained excessive hair growth.
research Age-related changes in brain and pituitary 5α-reductase with finasteride (Proscar) treatment
Finasteride affects prostate weights and pituitary activity differently with age.
research The Effect of Finasteride, a 5 Alpha-Reductase Inhibitor, on Scalp Skin Testosterone and Dihydrotestosterone Concentrations in Patients With Male Pattern Baldness
research The effect of finasteride, a 5 alpha-reductase inhibitor, on scalp skin testosterone and dihydrotestosterone concentrations in patients with male pattern baldness.
Finasteride reduces scalp DHT levels, potentially treating male pattern baldness.
research Finasteride: the first 5 alpha-reductase inhibitor.
research Finasteride: The First 5α-Reductase Inhibitor
Finasteride treats enlarged prostate and baldness, but may cause limited urinary improvement and sex-related side effects.
research Four-amino acid segment in steroid 5 alpha-reductase 1 confers sensitivity to finasteride, a competitive inhibitor.
Four-amino acid part makes enzyme sensitive to finasteride.
research Disposition and pharmacokinetics of [14C]finasteride after oral administration in humans.
research The clinical development of a 5α-reductase inhibitor, finasteride
Finasteride effectively treats BPH, but needs more trials to understand potential.
research Effects of Finasteride (MK-906), a 5α-Reductase Inhibitor, on Circulating Androgens in Male Volunteers*
Finasteride safely lowers DHT levels without affecting testosterone.
Related
research Role of allopregnanolone biosynthesis in acute stress-induced anxiety-like behaviors in mice
Blocking allopregnanolone production in mice makes them more anxious after stress, but this can be reversed with a drug that mimics allopregnanolone.
research Finasteride treatment and neuroactive steroid formation.
Finasteride treatment can decrease certain steroids and increase others, possibly leading to depression symptoms in some cases.
research The anxiolytic effect of pregnancy in rats is reversed by finasteride
Pregnancy reduces anxiety in rats, but finasteride reverses this effect.
research A New Look at the 5?-Reductase Inhibitor Finasteride
Finasteride treats enlarged prostate and hair loss, but may cause side effects in some patients.
research Effect of finasteride, a 5 alpha-reductase inhibitor, on serum gonadotropins in normal men.
Finasteride doesn't affect hormone levels in normal men.