Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
4B
pubmed:dateCreated
1989-1-19
pubmed:abstractText
The problem of developing androgen antagonists has been tackled so far only by synthesizing steroids able to displace testosterone and other androgens from their specific receptor sites. The observation that testosterone has to be converted intracellularly either to 5 alpha-reduced metabolites (DHT, 3 alpha-diol, etc.) or to estrogens, in order to become fully active on androgen-dependent structures (both central and peripheral), has opened the possibility of creating molecules which prevent these conversions, and which could then block the actions of testosterone. The availability of these new compounds has allowed a better understanding of the selective physiological role of each of the metabolites of testosterone, and to provide the basis for the development of new hormone antagonists to be used in those clinical conditions for which an inhibition of the actions of testosterone is foreseen. The usefulness of these enzyme inhibitors is underlined by some examples described in this paper. The results obtained may permit the formulation of the following conclusions: (1) The conversion of testosterone to its 5 alpha-reduced metabolites occurring in the neuroendocrine structures may represent an essential step for the appearance of the inhibitory feedback effect testosterone exerts on LH secretion; (2) Testosterone exhibits its negative feedback effect on FSH secretion as such and not following the local aromatization to estrogens; (3) Testosterone exerts its effect on the intrahypothalamic stores of LHRH acting as such and not following its local conversion either to 5 alpha-reduced metabolites or to estrogenic molecules; (4) Some of the new enzyme inhibitors (e.g. 4-OH-A) may represent an interesting tool for the treatment and/or the prevention of BPH and possibly of other androgen-dependent diseases (prostate carcinoma, acne etc.), as shown by their ability to prevent the in vitro conversion of testosterone to its 5 alpha-reduced metabolites both in the normal prostate of the rat and in the human BPH tissue.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Oct
pubmed:issn
0022-4731
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
31
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
677-83
pubmed:dateRevised
2006-11-15
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
1988
pubmed:articleTitle
Antihormonal activities of 5 alpha-reductase and aromatase inhibitors.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Endocrinology, University of Milan, Italy.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't