Influence of Estrogens on Androgen Metabolism in Different Subunits of Human Hair Follicles
July 2001
in “
PubMed
”
New to Finasteride? There is a guide in the encyclopedia. Read the guide → Studysummary This study reported that while finasteride and progesterone significantly inhibited dihydrotestosterone synthesis in dermal papillae, estrogens were less effective. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.
The study investigated the effects of estrogens on androgen metabolism in human hair follicles, particularly focusing on the enzyme 5alpha-reductase (5alpha-R) which is involved in the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a key factor in androgenetic alopecia. Scalp biopsies from volunteers were used to examine the impact of 17alpha-estradiol (E) and 17beta-E on 5alpha-R, 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3beta-HSD), and 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17beta-HSD) activities. The study found that finasteride was a potent inhibitor of DHT formation, reducing its synthesis by 86% at 1 nM concentration, while progesterone inhibited it by 75%. In contrast, estrogens were less effective, with 100 nM 17alpha-E and 17beta-E reducing DHT synthesis by 20% and 60%, respectively. The study suggested that estrogens might inhibit DHT formation indirectly by promoting the conversion of testosterone to weaker androgens, but further research was needed to confirm this mechanism.
