Effects of finasteride, a type 2 5-alpha reductase inhibitor, on fetal development in the rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta)
February 1997
in “Teratology”
TLDR Finasteride, when given in high oral doses to pregnant monkeys, caused genital abnormalities in male fetuses, but not in female fetuses or those exposed to intravenous finasteride.
The study aimed to determine the effects of finasteride, a type 2 5-alpha reductase inhibitor, on fetal development in rhesus monkeys. The researchers treated pregnant monkeys with finasteride and monitored their gestation period. They found that administering a high oral dose of finasteride resulted in external genital abnormalities in male fetuses, such as hypospadias and underdeveloped scrotum. However, no developmental abnormalities were observed in female fetuses or in fetuses exposed to the intravenous formulation of finasteride. The study concluded that the rhesus monkey is a suitable model for assessing the safety of 5-alpha reductase inhibitors during pregnancy.
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- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9143092
- https://doi.org/10.1002/(sici)1096-9926(199702)55:2119::aid-tera13.0.co;2-z
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