Propecia Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Propecia, including details on baldness, hair loss, side-effects, results.

Increased androgen receptor and remodeling in the prostatic stroma after the inhibition of 5-alpha reductase and aromatase in gerbil ventral prostate.

Corradi LS, Góes RM, Vilamaior PS, Taboga SR

Campinas State University-UNICAMP, Department of Cell Biology-Institute of Biology, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.

Prostate require high levels of steroidogenic enzymes such as 5alpha-reductase (5alpha-r) and Aromatase (Aro) for the formation of active steroids. Dihydrotestosterone (DHT), the prostate dominant androgen, is converted from testosterone (T) by the action of 5alpha-r. Aro provides an alternative pathway for estrogen, via T aromatization. Since prostatic maintenance is dependent on both reciprocal stromal-epithelial interaction and regulation by steroids, this study aimed to elucidate what the absence of 5alpha-r and Aro enzymes provokes in the prostate microenvironment after their long-term inhibition. Data obtained 1 day after the 30 consecutive days of enzymatic inhibition with Finasteride (5alpha-r inhibitor) and Letrozole (Aro inhibitor) demonstrated a marked stromal remodeling, with an increased deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins besides androgen receptor (AR) overexpression in the three phases of postnatal development analyzed. The subepithelial area of acini from ventral prostate presented collagen and reticular fibers accumulation, besides various altered and active fibroblasts. The AR content immunostaining was elevated after enzymatic inhibition therapy, mainly in the nuclei of epithelial cells. Similar data were observed in the ventral prostates even 21 days after the end of treatments. Results obtained following the long-term inhibition of 5alpha-r and Aro are relevant and highlight the actions of these enzymes as crucial not only for the maintenance of tissue architecture and ECM arrangement but also for androgen and AR function. The long-term absence of their action imposes a novel situation on the prostate from which its normal physiology could not be restored by the conclusion of the treatments. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2009. (c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Published 15 June 2009 in Microsc Res Tech.
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Articles on Propecia published 15 June 2009:

Chemoprevention of Prostate Cancer.   J Urol.

PURPOSE: Due to the public health impact of prostate cancer including the burden of screening and treatment, there is significant public interest in the potential prevention of this disease. We review the most recent results of large scale randomized clinical trials. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We review the potential agents, their hypothesized mechanisms of action and challenges for the design of chemoprevention trials, including the 3 large scale trials SELECT (testing selenium and vitamin E), ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Propecia published 11 June 2009:

Inhibition of human steroid 5beta-reductase (AKR1D1) by finasteride and structure of the enzyme-inhibitor complex.   J Biol Chem.

The Delta4-3-ketosteroid functionality is present in nearly all steroid hormones apart from estrogens. The first step in functionalization of the A-ring is mediated in humans by steroid 5alpha- or 5beta-reductase. Finasteride is a mechanism-based inactivator of 5alpha-reductase type 2 with sub-nanomolar affinity and is widely used as a therapeutic for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. It is also used for androgen deprivation in hormone dependent prostate carcinoma and it has been ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Propecia published 10 June 2009:

Finasteride treatment alters MMP-2 and -9 gene expression and activity in the rat ventral prostate.   Int J Androl.

The safety of using finasteride as a prevention of prostate cancer is still under debate. In this study, we investigated the effects of finasteride on the location, gene expression and activities of matrix metalloproteinases -2 and -9, which are involved in the degradation of extracellular matrix components during tissue remodelling and prostate cancer progression, invasion and metastasis. Ventral prostates (VP) from Wistar rats treated with finasteride (25 mg/kg/day) for 7 and 30 days and ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Propecia published 5 June 2009:

Molecular profiles of finasteride effects on prostate carcinogenesis.   Cancer Prev Res (Phila Pa), 2(6): 518-24.

Our inability to distinguish between low-grade prostate cancers that pose no threat and those that can kill compels newly diagnosed early prostate cancer patients to make decisions that may negatively affect their lives needlessly for years afterward. To reliably stratify patients into different risk categories and apply appropriate treatment, we need a better molecular understanding of prostate cancer progression. Androgen ablation therapy and 5-alpha reductase inhibitors reduce ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Propecia published 28 May 2009:

Progesterone promotes the survival of newborn neurons in the dentate gyrus of adult male mice.   Hippocampus.

This study investigated the effects of progesterone (P4) on the production and survival of neurons in the hippocampal dentate gyrus of adult male mice. The administration of P4 (4 mg/kg) for 3 consecutive days beginning on the 0-2nd day after the first BrdU-injection (BrdU-D(0-2)) produced an approximately twofold increase in the number of 28- and 56-day-old BrdU(+) cells in comparison to the controls, whereas it did not alter the number of 24/48-h-old BrdU(+) cells. P4 preferentially promoted ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Propecia published 25 May 2009:

Novel C-6 substituted and unsubstituted pregnane derivatives as 5alpha-reductase inhibitors and their effect on hamster flank organs diameter size.   Steroids.

The present study is addressed to ascertain the inhibitory effect of several progesterone derivatives having a chlorine substituent at C-6 (12a-12d), 15 with a bromine substituent at C-6 and 14a-14d, without any halogen atom at C-6 all having an ester side chain at C-17 (benzoate ester bearing a Cl, F and a Br atom at C-4 position of the phenyl ring) on the 5alpha-reductase enzyme activity present in human prostate. In addition, it was also of interest to investigate the pharmacological effect ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

The use of low-level light for hair growth: part I.   J Cosmet Laser Ther, 11(2): 110-7.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) is a new therapy for the treatment of hair loss. It has received enormous media attention and tremendous marketing budgets from companies that sell the devices, but no independent, peer-reviewed studies have demonstrated its efficacy in this application. Here we investigate the efficacy of LLLT in enhancing hair growth. METHODS: A total of seven patients were exposed to LLLT twice weekly for 20 minutes each time over a period of 3-6 ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

D-004, a lipid extract from royal palm fruit, exhibits antidepressant effects in the forced swim test and the tail suspension test in mice.   Pharmacol Biochem Behav, 92(3): 465-8.

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