Exploration of the Possible Relationships Between Gut and Hypothalamic Inflammation and Allopregnanolone: Preclinical Findings in a Post-Finasteride Rat Model

July 2025 in “ PubMed ”

Silvia Diviccaro, Roberto Oleari, Federica Amoruso, Fabrizio Fontana, Lucia Cioffi, Gabriela Chrostek, Vera Abenante, Jacopo Troisi, Anna Cariboni, Silvia Giatti, Roberto Cosimo Melcangi

finasteride allopregnanolone post-finasteride syndrome gut inflammation hypothalamic inflammation neuroinflammation oxidative stress blood-brain barrier gut-brain axis Propecia ALLO PFS

TLDR Allopregnanolone may help reduce inflammation and symptoms related to post-finasteride syndrome.

This preclinical study explored the effects of finasteride withdrawal (FW) on gut and hypothalamic inflammation in a rat model and assessed the protective role of allopregnanolone (ALLO). The study involved 24 male rats divided into control, FW, and FW + ALLO groups. FW led to significant gut and neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and altered gut morphology. ALLO treatment reduced these inflammatory markers, restored gut morphology, and improved blood-brain barrier integrity. The findings suggest ALLO's potential therapeutic effects in managing post-finasteride syndrome (PFS) by modulating inflammation and the gut-brain axis, highlighting its role in reducing PFS-related symptoms.

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