The corpus cavernosum after treatment with dutasteride or finasteride: A histomorphometric study in a benign prostatic hyperplasia rodent model

In the 2018 study involving 60 male rats, researchers investigated the effects of dutasteride and finasteride, both 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors, on the penile morphology in a benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) rodent model. The rats were divided into six groups, including untreated controls, controls treated with either drug, untreated spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) as a BPH model, and SHRs treated with either drug. After 40 days, the penises were histomorphometrically analyzed. The study found significant morphological changes in the corpus cavernosum, with dutasteride-treated rats showing a greater reduction in smooth muscle density and an increase in connective tissue and elastic system fiber surface density compared to finasteride. These changes suggest that erectile dysfunction observed in men treated with these drugs may be due to penile fibrosis. The study suggests finasteride might be preferable for patients concerned about erectile dysfunction, but acknowledges that further research is needed to confirm the reversibility of these changes and to explore the effects of different doses.