Finasteride: A Slow-Binding 5-Alpha-Reductase Inhibitor

This document from 1993 investigates the interaction between finasteride and 5-alpha-reductase, an enzyme involved in the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). The study found that the association rate constant (kon) between finasteride and 5-alpha-reductase was much lower than expected, which has implications for accurately determining the equilibrium dissociation constant (K₁) and evaluating the potency of inhibitors. The study also investigated the stability of the enzyme and the effect of temperature and pH on the interaction.