The efficacy and use of finasteride in women: a systematic review

Hu, Allison C.; Chapman, Lance W.; Mesinkovska, Natasha Atanaskova

doi:10.1111/ijd.14370

Cited by 36 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 84 publications

(326 reference statements)

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“…These data raise the possibility that finasteride could be used as a treatment for OUD in both males and females. This finding is interesting, given that finasteride is mainly used in men (although there is some history of use to treat hirsutism in women) 87 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

The 5α-reductase inhibitor finasteride reduces opioid self-administration

Bossé

Cadeddu

Floris

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Opioid use disorder (OUD) has become a leading cause of death in the US, yet current therapeutic strategies remain highly inadequate. To identify novel potential treatments for OUD, we screened a targeted selection of over 100 drugs, using a recently developed opioid self-administration assay in zebrafish. This paradigm showed that finasteride, a steroidogenesis inhibitor approved for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia and androgenetic alopecia, reduced self-administration of multiple opioids without affecting locomotion or feeding behavior. These findings were confirmed in rats; furthermore, finasteride did not interfere with the antinociceptive effect of opioids in rat models of neuropathic pain. Steroidomic analyses of the brains of fish treated with finasteride revealed a significant increase in dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS). Treatment with precursors of DHEAS reduced opioid self-administration in zebrafish, in a fashion akin to the effects of finasteride. Our results highlight the importance of steroidogenic pathways as a rich source of therapeutic targets for OUD and point to the potential of finasteride as a new option for this disorder.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

The 5α-reductase inhibitor finasteride reduces opioid self-administration

Bossé

Cadeddu

Floris

et al. 2020

Preprint

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“…Management of HS requires a multidisciplinary approach, and the treatment ladder combines numerous medical therapies. [1][2][3] Prior to this study, there have been a limited number of case reports describing finasteride therapy for HS in women, [12][13][14][15][16][17] but we were unable to find any clinical trials in the literature. Our retrospective chart review and telephone survey present a diverse cohort of female patients at the Montefiore/Einstein HS Center treated with finasteride.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Antiandrogen therapy in hidradenitis suppurativa: finasteride for females

Babbush

Andriano

Cohen

2021

Clin Experimental Derm

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Summary Background Given its widely accepted efficacy, androgen blockade therapy for hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) has become a standard of care. Although much less frequently used than spironolactone, a small number of HS studies have reported finasteride as an alternative treatment for women. In this study, we describe the response to and perception of finasteride therapy in a diverse cohort of women with HS. Aim To describe finasteride therapy in a diverse cohort of female patients with HS. Methods We conducted an institutional review board‐approved retrospective chart review and telephone survey of 20 female patients aged ≥ 18 years with a diagnosis of HS. Finasteride was prescribed by a single provider at a specialized HS centre. Results The mean age of the patients was 34.3 ± 13.5 years. Finasteride was initiated predominantly because of one or more contraindications or poor responsiveness to spironolactone. Most patients interviewed (90%; n = 18) were willing to take finasteride again or continue with therapy if indicated. Of the 20 patients, 10 (50%) reported overall satisfaction with finasteride, while 7 (35%) were neutral and 3 (15%) were dissatisfied. No patient reported worsening disease activity while on finasteride and only one (5%) reported decreased quality of life. When asked about adverse effects of finasteride, 80% (n = 16) reported none, while 20% (n = 4) experienced ≥ 1 of the following: headache, nausea, menstrual irregularities, breast tenderness or reduced libido/sexual function. Conclusions Our study suggests that androgen blockade therapy with finasteride is a safe and effective alternative for female patients with HS who have contraindication(s) or intolerance to spironolactone.

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“…The doses of sex steroid synthesis blockers were adopted from previous studies, in which we tested the efficacy of the blockers. 22,23,25 Because testosterone is the substrate of both enzymes, aromatase and 5α-reductase, 25,32 it has to be considered that the inhibitors increase testosterone levels as side effects. 25 Arc/Arg3.1.…”

Section: Sex Steroids Upregulate Arc/arg31 In a Sexdependent Mannermentioning

confidence: 99%

Sex‐dependent responsiveness of hippocampal neurons to sex neurosteroids: A role of Arc/Arg3.1

Brökling

Brunne

Rune

2022

J Neuroendocrinology

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Sex steroids, such as estradiol (E2) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT), regulate hippocampal plasticity and memory in a sex‐dependent manner. Because the activity‐regulated cytoskeleton protein Arc/Arg3.1 is essential for long‐term memory formation and synaptic plasticity, we investigated the expression of Arc/Arg3.1 with respect to its responsiveness to E2 and DHT in male and female hippocampal neurons. For the first time, we show that, in hippocampal neurons, Arc/Arg3.1 expression is sex‐dependently regulated by sex steroids. No difference in the expression between sexes was observed under control conditions. Using a quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction, western blot analysis and quantitative immunoreactivity, upregulation of Arc/Arg3.1 protein expression was observed in specifically female hippocampal neurons after application of E2 to the cultures. Conversely, upregulation of Arc/Arg3.1 was seen in specifically male neurons after application of DHT. A quantitative real‐time PCR revealed that the sex‐dependency was most pronounced on the mRNA level. Most importantly, the effects of E2 in cultures of female animals were abolished when neuron‐derived E2 synthesis was inhibited. Our results point to a potentially important role of Arc/Arg3.1 regarding sex‐dependency in sex steroid‐induced synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus.

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The efficacy and use of finasteride in women: a systematic review

Cited by 36 publications

References 84 publications

The 5α-reductase inhibitor finasteride reduces opioid self-administration

The 5α-reductase inhibitor finasteride reduces opioid self-administration

Antiandrogen therapy in hidradenitis suppurativa: finasteride for females

Sex‐dependent responsiveness of hippocampal neurons to sex neurosteroids: A role of Arc/Arg3.1

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