finasteride, Propecia
[Finasteride in prolonged therapy of patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia]

[Article in Russian]

Mazo EB.

The efficiency of finasteride alone and in combination with alpha 1-adrenoblocker tamsulasine in long (2-4 years) treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia is analyzed, based on published reports and the author's data. Specific features of long finasteride therapy are discussed: decrease in the level of prostatic specific antigen, no effect in case of concomitant infectious chronic prostatitis, more stable result in combination with tamsulasine, higher efficiency of finasteride after a previous course of therapy for prostatitis. Indications for finasteride therapy are defied. The results of finasteride therapy directly correlate with the size of the prostate in 78% patients.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11505535&dopt=Abstract finasteride Propecia



finasteride, Propecia
Allopregnanolone does not influence ethanol-induced conditioned place preference in DBA/2J mice.

Gabriel KI, Cunningham CL, Finn DA.

Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239, USA. gabrielk ohsu.edu

RATIONALE: The neurosteroid allopregnanolone (ALLOP; 3alpha-hydroxy-5alpha-pregnan-20-one) produces behavioral and discriminative characteristics similar to that of ethanol (EtOH) and can modulate some of the behavioral and electrophysiological effects of EtOH. OBJECTIVE: The present experiments investigated ALLOP modulation of the effects of EtOH in a place conditioning procedure in male DBA/2J mice. METHODS: In a series of experiments examining different EtOH doses (1, 2 g/kg) and ALLOP administration times, ALLOP (0, 3.2, 10, 17 mg/kg, i.p.) was administered four times with EtOH prior to placement on a distinctive floor (CS+). On alternate days, vehicle was administered prior to a saline injection paired with the other floor stimulus (CS-). In a separate experiment, finasteride (0, 50, 100 mg/kg, i.p.), a 5alpha-reductase inhibitor that blocks ALLOP synthesis, was administered prior to both CS+ and CS- trials. In a final experiment, animals were place conditioned to EtOH alone, and ALLOP (0, 3.2, 10, 17 mg/kg, i.p.) was administered prior to the preference test only. RESULTS: During conditioning, ALLOP increased and finasteride decreased EtOH-stimulated activity compared with vehicle pretreatment. Acquisition of 2 g/kg EtOH-induced conditioned place preference was observed in all mice, regardless of treatment with either ALLOP or finasteride. Similarly, ALLOP did not modulate the expression of EtOH-induced place preference. EtOH increased brain ALLOP levels compared with saline; however, ALLOP administration produced dose-dependent elevations in brain ALLOP levels that were not further augmented by EtOH (2 g/kg) administration. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that ALLOP does not modulate EtOH-induced place conditioning in male DBA/2J mice.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=15083256&dopt=Abstract finasteride Propecia



finasteride, Propecia
Follow-up of 1 mg finasteride treatment of male pattern baldness-difference between clinical trials and private office follow-up: influences on prescribing habits evaluated.

Rapaport MJ.

UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90210, USA. Sknbevhill aol.com

BACKGROUND: Finasteride (Propecia) was approved by the FDA in 1998 for treating men with androgenetic alopecia. The published clinical trials demonstrated statistical differences between drug and placebo. Rarely do new drugs undergo further non-drug-company-sponsored studies of efficacy. Concerns about clinical studies and marketing of drugs prompted this evaluation of a large group of patients taking this medication. OBJECTIVE: Finasteride usage offered an opportunity not only to understand the acceptance of a cosmetically oriented medication, but also to evaluate subjective comments and compliance after a long period of time. METHODS: A total of 1261 patients were monitored with phone calls every 3 months after finasteride was initially prescribed. After 12 months, a detailed questionnaire was sent to all patients with an additional letter and two telephone calls if no response was received. Statistical analysis of the patients' data was made. RESULTS: Thirty-two percent or 414 men continued to take finasteride daily for 1 to 3 years. Twenty-four percent or 297 men discontinued the drug between 3 and 15 months owing to poor results. The remaining 44% or 549 men were lost to follow-up despite numerous attempts to contact them. CONCLUSION: A total of 414 men continued to take the medication, but only 211 returned detailed questionnaires. A small percentage of this group felt that they grew hair. The remaining patients noted poor results.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=15099321&dopt=Abstract finasteride Propecia



finasteride, Propecia
Risk of acute pancreatitis in users of finasteride: a population-based case-control study.

Floyd A, Pedersen L, Nielsen GL, Thorlacius-Ussing O, Sorensen HT.

Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University Hospitals, DK-9000 Aalborg, Denmark. alfo sci.au.dk

GOALS: To examine the risk of acute pancreatitis in > or = 60-year-old male users of finasteride in a case-control study from a population of 490,000 persons in North Jutland County, Denmark, from 1993 to 2000. STUDY: We identified all men age 60 and over with incident acute pancreatitis from the County Hospital Discharge Registry in North Jutland, 1993 to 2000, and selected 10 age-matched controls per case from the Danish Civil Registration System based on incidence density sampling. All prescriptions for finasteride within 90 days prior to admission with acute pancreatitis were identified from the population-based North Jutland Prescription Database. Data on potential confounding factors were also extracted from registries. We used conditional logistic regression to estimate the relative risk of acute pancreatitis, adjusted for these potential confounders. RESULTS: There were 302 men age 60 and older with incident acute pancreatitis, of whom 3 were exposed to finasteride, and 2994 controls, of whom 37 were exposed to finasteride. The crude odds ratio for having reimbursed prescriptions for finasteride was 0.8 (95% confidence interval, 0.2-2.6). After adjustment for alcohol-related diseases, gallstone disease, hyperlipidemia, hypercalcemia, and hyperparathyroidism, the odds ratio was slightly decreased to 0.5 (95% confidence interval, 0.1-2.5). CONCLUSION: We did not find any increased risk of acute pancreatitis in users of finasteride.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=15128076&dopt=Abstract finasteride Propecia



finasteride, Propecia
Finasteride and bicalutamide as primary hormonal therapy in patients with advanced adenocarcinoma of the prostate.

Tay MH, Kaufman DS, Regan MM, Leibowitz SB, George DJ, Febbo PG, Manola J, Smith MR, Kaplan ID, Kantoff PW, Oh WK.

Lank Center for Genitourinary Oncology, Division of Solid Tumor Oncology, Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA.

BACKGROUND: Medical or surgical castration is effective in advanced prostate cancer but with profound side-effects, particularly on sexual function. Effective, less toxic therapies are needed. This study examined whether the addition of finasteride to high-dose bicalutamide enhanced disease control, as measured by additional decreases in serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty-one patients with advanced prostate cancer received bicalutamide (150 mg/day). Finasteride (5 mg/day) was added at first PSA nadir. Serum PSA was measured every 2 weeks until disease progression. Questionnaires were administered to assess sexual function. RESULTS: Median follow-up is 3.9 years. At the first PSA nadir, median decrease in PSA from baseline was 96.5%. Thirty of 41 patients (73%) achieved a second PSA nadir and median decrease of 98.5% from baseline. Median time to each nadir was 3.7 and 5.8 weeks, respectively. Median time to treatment failure was 21.3 months. Toxicities were minor, including gynecomastia. Seventeen of 29 (59%) and 12 of 24 (50%) men had normal sex drive at baseline and at second PSA nadir, respectively. One-third of men had spontaneous erection at both time points. CONCLUSION: Finasteride provides additional intracellular androgen blockade when added to bicalutamide. Duration of control is comparable to castration, with preserved sexual function in some patients.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=15151957&dopt=Abstract finasteride Propecia



finasteride, Propecia
Reduction of rat prostate weight by combined quercetin-finasteride treatment is associated with cell cycle deregulation.

Ma Z, Hung Nguyen T, Hoa Huynh T, Tien Do P, Huynh H.

Division of Cellular and Molecular Research, National Cancer Center of Singapore, Singapore 169610.

Benign prostate hyperplasia and prostate cancer are major public health problems. We report herein that daily treatment of male rats with 50, 100 or 150 mg quercetin per kg body weight resulted in serum concentrations of quercetin equivalent to 25.3 microM, 43.3 microM and 54.3 microM respectively. Concomitantly, serum testosterone levels were increased by 1.79-, 1.83- and 3.48-fold, while serum dihydrotestosterone (DHT) levels were 125%, 92% and 73% of the control. A slight increase in prostate weight coupled with dilated prostate lumens full of secretory materials were observed. Finasteride alone caused a significant decrease in serum DHT level and prostate weight. Co-administration of quercetin with finasteride prevented the finasteride-induced decrease in serum DHT levels but significantly enhanced the reduction in wet prostate weight, which was reduced by 26.9% in finasteride-treated animals to 31.8%, 40.0% and 48.2% after finasteride given together with the three doses of quercetin. The combined treatment altered cell cycle-regulated proteins in a wide spectrum. The expressions of cyclin D1, CDK-4, cdc-2 and phospho-cdc-2 at tyrosine 15, phospho-MEK1/2, phospho-MAP kinase, phospho-pRb at serine 780 and serine 807/811 were significantly inhibited, while the levels of p15, p21 and p27 were increased. In conclusion, quercetin-finasteride treatments caused wide cell cycle deregulation in rat prostates, which, in turn, decreased the proliferation rate, changed the secretion activities of epithelial cells and resulted in a marked reduction in wet prostate weight. The results suggest that quercetin synergizes with finasteride to reduce the wet prostate weight through a cell cycle-related pathway, which may be androgen independent.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=15171697&dopt=Abstract finasteride Propecia