Propecia may contribute to neurodegeneration

[Mew]

http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/content/full/86/3/1324

Characterization of the 5-Reductase-3-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Complex in the Human Brain


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SCREENSHOT: Dose-response curves for the inhibition of human brain (A) and prostate tissue (B) 5-reductase in vitro activity by finasteride (o) and MK386 (•).

>>>> VIEW SCREENSHOT: http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/conten ... /3/1324/F1



...Both finasteride and MK386 demonstrated dose-responsive inhibitory activity on brain as well as on prostate 5-reductase activity.


... The ubiquitous presence of 5-reductase activity in the mature human CX and SC and the lack of any sex- and age-specific differences suggest that it has more general effects, e.g. the synthesis of neurosteroids, rather than the control of the reproductive function and the sexual behavior

... Therefore, our findings prove that 5-reductase and 3-HSD activity are colocalized in the investigated human neural tissues and support the assumption that the nongonadal isoform of 5-reductase may play an important role in the synthesis of neurosteroids via the 5-reductase-3-HSD pathway


... This is in accordance with a previous study in adult rats, which demonstrated that the anesthetic effects of progesterone, but not of its 5-reduced/3-hydroxylated metabolite 3-hydroxy-5-pregnan-20-one (allopregnanolone), is impaired by the pretreatment with a 5-reductase inhibitor

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PS: Bubka, blow me.

 

[Mew]

Effect of progesterone, testosterone and their 5?-reduced metabolites on GFAP gene expression in type 1 astrocytes

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_o ... 10b3089f64

Astrocytes possess steroid receptors as well as several enzymes typical of steroid target cells, such as 5?-reductase, which converts testosterone (T) and progesterone (P) into their respective 5?-reduced metabolites, and the 3?-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3?-HSD).

Because of this, it was deemed of interest to analyze whether the original hormones P and T, and their 5?-reduced metabolites dihydrotestosterone (DHT), 5?-androstan-3?,17?-diol (3?-diol), dihydroprogesterone (DHP) and 5?-pregnan-3?-ol-20-one (THP), might exert some effects on the expression of the most typical astrocytec marker, i.e. the glial fibrillary acidic protein WAY). Cultures of rat type 1 astrocytes were exposed to the various steroids for 2, 6, and 24 h, and the variations of GFAP mRNA were measured by Northern blot analysis.

A significant elevation of GFAP mRNA levels was observed after exposure to either P or DHP; the effect of DHP appeared more promptly (at 2 h) than that of P (at 6 h).

This result suggests that the effect of P might be linked to its conversion into DHP; this hypothesis has been confirmed by showing that the addition of finasteride (a specific blocker of the 5?-reductase) is able to completely abolish the effect of P. After exposure to DHP or THP, a decrease of GFAP gene expression was observed at later intervals (24 h).

In the case of androgens, T and 3?-diol did not change GFAP expression at any time of exposure, while DHT produced a significant decrease of GFAP mRNA only after 24 h of exposure. Taken together, the data indicate that the 5?-reduced metabolites of P and T may modulate the expression of GFAP in type 1 rat astrocytes.

 

[Mew]

Role of progesterone in peripheral nerve repair

http://ror.reproduction-online.org/cgi/reprint/5/3/189

... The addition of 5a-dihydroprogesterone and 3a,5a-tetrahydroprogesterone to cultured DRG [dorsal root ganglion] also increased neurite outgrowth

... Furthermore, progesterone induced neurite outgrowth from DRG [dorsal root ganglion] explants is blocked by finasteride, an inhibitor of 5a-reductase[/b]. Therefore, it appears that neurite outgrowth is stimulated by 5a-dihydroprogesterone or 3a,5a-tetrahydroprogesterone, or both, rather than by progesterone.

... The mechanism by which axonal growth is stimulated by progesterone or its 5a-derivatives probably involves several neuronal genes expressed in neurofilaments, microtubules and in the axolemma. The expression of these genes may be regulated either at transcription or at translation level by progesterone or its 5a-metabolites.

... "Progesterone and its 5a-reduced metabolites, dihydroprogesterone and tetrahydroprogesterone, stimulate the expression of genes encoding peripheral myelin proteins Po and PMP22... "

"... Several intracellular pathways may be involved in the effects of progesterone or its 5a-metabolites on axonal growth and maturation and on the remyelination processes..."

 

[powersam]

Men in there 20's noticing they don't get erections like they used too... boy that does not happen naturally :thumbdown2:

I noticed from day 2 on finasteride that all spontaneous erections disappeared. No way that is a coincidence.

a libido rollercoaster is quite normal when you start. things stabilise later on.

 

[Norsk]

It wasn't a libido rollercoaster. It went straight down, and it stayed down for the next 6 months. Then I quit because of gyno.

 

[BARCA]

damn...this thread is so depressing...I started finasteride three weeks ago...I hope I dont get this....but dont u think the FDA would have told us about this?

 

[ttroy]

The FDA is not almighty and new information regarding drugs comes in all the time. Remember Vioxx and other similar cases?
Most likely you will be just fine, many take finasteride without any problems at all. I would however strongly encourage you to evaluate all the risks involved, you just might end up worse than just bald.

 

[joseph49853]

The FDA is one of the most corrupt and ineffectual governmental organizations in the US. History continues to repeat itself with the barrage of unnecessary but very lucrative patentable substances. The entire monitoring and reporting process responsible for making drugs safe beyond limited clinical studies is completely broken and useless. Doctors are too busy being wined, dined, and spoon-fed biased information by pretty leggy pharma reps. Many aren't even very intellectually curious outside of medical school, but they know how to cash those checks. Today's Fen-phen and Vioxx is tomorrow's Zetia and Vytorin, in a few years it will be the entire statin class etc. etc. etc. Pubmed, copious anecdotes, and an intuitive mind are your best friend in this overmedicated age.

 

[bubka]

You are right joseph498534455156169541546654654, it is a conspiracy between the FDA and the drug companies, and the many universities which do the drug research :jackit:

 

[joseph49853]

I have come to understand that Europeans actually trust the FDA far more than Americans. Though I wonder if any clinical studies have demonstrated a relationship between finasteride/dusteride and mood and behavioral problems. It seems every one of your messages is punctuated with a one-noted aggression and hostility. You are one of the angriest guys on this forum, with very little usable content, by far. Anyone else notice this about Bubka?

 

[bubka]

There is one small study ( N < 100) that showed in one of there assessments, that finasteride my increase depression in already depressed males over a period of 2 months.
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6904/6/7

 

[ttroy]

Joseph: Yes. It also escapes me why someone would write to a section called "dealing with side effects" only to belittle problems others are having.
No-one was talking about a conspiracy, just that history has shown that the FDA(and similar in other countries) make mistakes - sometimes with very sad consequences.
Even here it seems that a pure coincidence saved the FDA from the thalidomide-scandal. E.g. here in Europe we weren't as lucky, many women gave birth to a child with defects only because of a drug that was supposed to be safe. These things happen.
http://w3.aces.uiuc.edu:8001/Liberty/Ta ... omide.Html

 

[bubka]

OK, so what is the list of drugs that you think the "corrupt" FDA pushed through out of how many are on the market? Let's think logically here.

 

[Guest]

Praying that God removes the "mark" which causes hair loss .Bahahahahahha

 

[jakeb]

I don't think the FDA is corrupt, but some of these effects take a long time to materialize. I took Finasteride for 4 years before it became obvious that something was happening. It crept up on me very, very slowly.

 

[Guest]

With all this fear mongering id be suprised if anyone would use propecia who comes to this forum.

 

[Axl_Rose]

I'm actually starting to get a bit concerned about finasteride now after reading all these bad things about it.

 

[Libido]

I'm actually starting to get a bit concerned about finasteride now after reading all these bad things about it.

Of course, and the day either your "mind" creates a placebo or you actually get something totaly unrelated to finasteride (we shoudnt forget that all of this stuff can happen with or without it, a lot of it is even likely... Read: depression), finasteride will be the thing to blaim.

Then, after you quit finsteride and it doesnt go away (becuase finasteride wansnt the problem) we will now call the side-effect irreversable as well. Oh, joy.

Note that im not really talking about you in particulair. Merely trying to explain the stupid catch-22 we are in, and why paranoid possible side-effect sufferers get bashed whenever they open their mouth in a maner that screams clueless. Because thats the main crowd creating our catch-22. We who want to learn about potential sides (I really do) cant listen to people having them, because far to big a part of that crowd is either full of sh!t or doesnt really understand much. Pretty much everyone is the same: Everything has to be finasteride, there´s no chans it was unrelated. Im just thinking, when they get a new problem 20 years from now, will they still blame finasteride? It is not impossible that a lot of them will. Everyone wants to blame something.

Jees, sometimes I wish we could create an enclosed discussion for those of us that solely wants to find answers rather than to point fingers and think they are gods perfect creation until they get sides from finasteride.

 

[skessler]

WARNING:
I have been taking Finasteride for 9 yrs i.e. from 30 to my current age of 39 First of all Finasteride does work and does prevent hair loss, at least for me. But.......

For the past four years or so I have noticed that I have been very tired. The last 1 1/2 yrs it has become very bad where I would basically be a zombie at work. I noticed that I lost my ability to speak and think clearly. I've started to fumble my speech. I have a masters degree in mechanical engineering and have always had clear thoughts and was able to speak clearly. I noticed that I have lost this the past few years. I thought I had sleep anea so I got treated for it but it hasn't helped. I am an atheletic and healthy 39 yr old male but know something is wrong with me. I don't ever reach REM sleep i.e. no dreams. I now believe Finasteride could be the cause after reading that other people are having similar symptoms. I have been off of Finasteride for 3 days and already had a dream last night and feel somewhat less tired and have less brain fog. But it's too early to tell. My gut feel says Finasteride is the cause. I now have to come with the terms that I'll loose my hair that I was able to keep for the last 9 yrs while on Finasteride. But hopefully I’ll get my brain back and the old me but without hair.

 

[BitchBoy]

If anyone thinks any drug trial is the conclusive last word on the effects of any given drug has as a severly limited understanding/overestimation of what these trials can tell us.

Nearly all drugs that we have, that we know work, we don't really understand how or why they work. We have theories that are informed by experimentaion, but you have to accept that there is a certain level of "black magic" involved in pharmacology. And until we have a full and exhaustive understanding of human metabolism, something we are light years away from having, there always will be.

People who keep throwing up the 1997 FDA trial results like they were brought down from the mountain, carved in a stone tablet by Moses need to stop acting like such f*****g noobs.