Epigenetic Effects of Finasteride on Human Leydig Cells
April 2020
in “
The FASEB Journal
”
TLDR Finasteride may cause lasting sexual issues by altering specific genes in human cells.
The study investigated the epigenetic effects of finasteride on human Leydig cells to understand the biochemical mechanisms behind Post-finasteride Syndrome (PFS), which includes persistent sexual dysfunction and infertility. Human Leydig cells were cultured with 0.5 μM finasteride for 14 days, and whole-genome DNA methylation analysis was performed. The results identified specific genes and pathways that could be responsible for PFS, potentially leading to treatments to reverse the condition. The research was supported by NIH/NIA funding.