help button home button Endocrine Society JCEM JCEM Call for Nominations for EIC
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit a related Letter to the Editor
Right arrow Purchase Article
Right arrow View Shopping Cart
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Request Copyright Permission
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Cunningham, G. R.
Right arrow Articles by Hirshkowitz, M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Cunningham, G. R.
Right arrow Articles by Hirshkowitz, M.

Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Vol 80, 1934-1940, Copyright © 1995 by Endocrine Society

ARTICLES

Inhibition of steroid 5 alpha-reductase with finasteride: sleep-related erections, potency, and libido in healthy men

GR Cunningham and M Hirshkowitz
Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.

To objectively measure the effects of a 5 alpha-reductase inhibitor on erectile function, we studied 20 sexually active men (aged 41-64 yr) during double blind, randomized administration of 5 mg/day finasteride (F) or placebo (P). Serum testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) were measured every 4 weeks. Sleep-related erections were assessed with comprehensive polysomnography for 2 nights before randomization (session 1) and at week 12 (session 2). Sexual function questionnaires were administered weekly. Serum DHT levels at week 0 were 1.47 +/- 0.11 and 1.16 +/- 0.27 nmol/L (P > 0.05) in the P and F groups, respectively. F group levels fell to 31% and 28% of control values at week 4 and 12. Penile tip peak tumescence time increased on second nights more in the P than the F group at 12 weeks, producing a session main effect (P < 0.02) and a group X session interaction (P < 0.05). No significant group X session interactions were found for any sleep erection measures in a best night analysis or for self-reported sexual activity. Thus, F did not consistently suppress sleep-related erections compared to P. F primarily inhibits type 2 5 alpha-reductase activity; however, type 1 5 alpha-reductase is the major enzyme in the central nervous system. Therefore, DHT involvement in the maintenance of libido and potency is not excluded. Nonetheless, these data support the feasibility of using a type 2 inhibitor to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia without impairing erectile function.


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab.Home page
R. A. Anderson, A. M. Wallace, N. Sattar, N. Kumar, and K. Sundaram
Evidence for Tissue Selectivity of the Synthetic Androgen 7{alpha}-Methyl-19-Nortestosterone in Hypogonadal Men
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., June 1, 2003; 88(6): 2784 - 2793.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Cancer Res.Home page
B. J. Long, D. N. Grigoryev, I. P. Nnane, Y. Liu, Y.-Z. Ling, and A. M. Brodie
Antiandrogenic Effects of Novel Androgen Synthesis Inhibitors on Hormone-dependent Prostate Cancer
Cancer Res., December 1, 2000; 60(23): 6630 - 6640.
[Abstract] [Full Text]

Home page
 EndocrinologyHome page
I. P. Nnane, K. Kato, Y. Liu, B. J. Long, Q. Lu, X. Wang, Y.-z. Ling, and A. Brodie
Inhibition of Androgen Synthesis in Human Testicular and Prostatic Microsomes and in Male Rats by Novel Steroidal Compounds
Endocrinology, June 1, 1999; 140(6): 2891 - 2897.
[Abstract] [Full Text]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Endocrinology Endocrine Reviews J. Clin. End. & Metab.
Molecular Endocrinology Recent Prog. Horm. Res. All Endocrine Journals
Copyright © 1995 by The Endocrine Society