Exploring Rat Corpus Cavernosum Alterations Induced by Finasteride Treatment and Withdrawal

August 2023 in “ Andrology ”

Silvia Diviccaro, Monika Herian, Lucia Cioffi, Matteo Audano, Nico Mitro, Donatella Caruso, Silvia Giatti, Roberto Cosimo Melcangi

finasteride androgenetic alopecia testosterone dihydrotestosterone 5α-R type II norepinephrine epinephrine ornithine transcarbamylase nitric oxide synthase NO2 Propecia DHT 5-alpha reductase type II OTC NOS nitric oxide

TLDR Finasteride changes hormone levels and certain proteins in rats, but these effects can be reversed after stopping the drug.

The study involved 24 adult male Sprague–Dawley rats and examined the effects of finasteride treatment and its withdrawal on rat corpus cavernosum. Finasteride, used to treat androgenetic alopecia, was found to significantly increase testosterone levels and decrease dihydrotestosterone levels, as well as decrease the protein expression of 5α-R type II. The treatment also led to a significant increase in norepinephrine levels, a decrease in epinephrine levels, and modulated specific enzymatic activities, notably decreasing the activity of ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS), and significantly decreasing the NO2 content in the corpus cavernosum. However, these effects were fully reversible one month after drug suspension.

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