Hairloss Study Abstract: The effect of finasteride, a 5 alpha-reductase inhibitor, on scalp skin testosterone and dihydrotestosterone concentrations in patients with male pattern baldness.

Hairloss Study Abstract: The effect of finasteride, a 5 alpha-reductase inhibitor, on scalp skin testosterone and dihydrotestosterone concentrations in patients with male pattern baldness.

Title

The effect of finasteride, a 5 alpha-reductase inhibitor, on scalp skin testosterone and dihydrotestosterone concentrations in patients with male pattern baldness.

Author

Dallob AL, Sadick NS, Unger W, Lipert S, Geissler LA, Gregoire SL, Nguyen HH, Moore EC, Tanaka WK

Address

Merck Research Laboratories, Rahway, New Jersey 07065.

Source

J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 79: 3, 1994 Sep, 703-6

Abstract

The effects of the 5 alpha-reductase inhibitor, finasteride, on scalp skin testosterone (T) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) levels were studied in patients with male pattern baldness. In a double blind study, male patients undergoing hair transplantation were treated with oral finasteride (5 mg/day) or placebo for 28 days. Scalp skin biopsies were obtained before and after treatment for measurement of T and DHT by high pressure liquid chromatography-RIA. In 10 male subjects studied at baseline, mean (+/- SEM) DHT levels were significantly higher in bald (7.37 +/- 1.24 pmol/g) compared to hair-containing (4.20 +/- 0.65 pmol/g) scalp, whereas there was no difference in mean T levels at baseline. In bald scalp from 8 patients treated with finasteride, the mean DHT concentration decreased from 6.40 +/- 1.07 pmol/g at baseline to 3.62 +/- 0.38 pmol/g on day 28. Scalp T levels increased in 6 of 8 subjects treated with finasteride. Finasteride decreased the mean serum DHT concentration from 1.36 +/- 0.18 nmol/L (n = 8) at baseline to 0.46 +/- 0.10 nmol/L on day 28 and had no effect on serum T. There were no significant changes in scalp or serum T or DHT in placebo-treated patients. In this study, male subjects treated with 5 mg/day finasteride for 4 weeks had significantly decreased concentrations of DHT in bald scalp, resulting in a mean level similar to the baseline levels found in hair-containing scalp.

Language of Publication

English

Unique Identifier

94358066