Treatment of Depression During Pregnancy: Clinical Perspectives

The study found that the expression of the enzyme 5-α Reductase type 2 (SRD5A2), important for prostatic development, was variable and absent in one-third of benign adult prostates, contrary to common belief. This absence was linked to hypermethylation of the SRD5A2 promoter, regulated by DNA methyltransferase 1, which is influenced by inflammatory mediators like tumor necrosis factor α, NF-κB, and IL-6. The research showed that increased age in mice and humans correlated with increased methylation and decreased SRD5A2 expression. Inducing inflammation in prostate cells led to hypermethylation and silencing of SRD5A2, while inhibiting tumor necrosis factor α reactivated its expression. These findings suggested that SRD5A2 expression is not constant in benign prostate tissues and that its methylation status could be used to tailor treatments for prostatic diseases.