The Interaction Between Finasteride and Corticosterone Levels: Implications for Depression and Anxiety-Like Behavior and Hippocampal Synaptic Plasticity in Male Rats

    May 2025 in “ Psychopharmacology ”
    Jose Nayana, B.S. Shankaranarayana Rao, Bettadapura N. Srikumar
    TLDR Chronic finasteride use in male rats doesn't strongly cause depression or anxiety due to adaptive stress hormone changes.
    This study examined the effects of chronic finasteride administration on depression- and anxiety-like behavior and hippocampal synaptic plasticity in male rats over 21 days. Finasteride induced depression-like behavior in the sucrose preference test and anxiety-like behavior in the elevated plus maze, with a modest decrease in hippocampal long-term potentiation. Plasma corticosterone levels increased after 6 days but normalized after 14 and 21 days. The study concludes that chronic finasteride administration does not robustly induce depression- and anxiety-like behavior, possibly due to adaptive responses in corticosterone levels, highlighting the complex interactions between finasteride, stress hormones, and brain function.
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