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ALOPECIA ANDROGENICA
ANDROGENIC ALOPECIA 
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***** DERMAGIC-EXPRESS No.27 ******** 
****** 06 ENERO DE 1.999 ******* 
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EDITORIAL ESPANOL
=================
Hola Amigos del DERMA Cyber, DERMAGIC con su primera entrega del año les
trae este interesante tema sobre LA ALOPECIA ANDROGENICA, revisión pedida por el Dr. Rondon Lugo. 

Encontre 43 referencias que nos ilustran muy bien este tena que nunca
dejara de ser de interes para todos. 

Hace unos años se decia en el argot: "solo el piso detiene la caida del
cabello", en son de juerga. Hoy podemos decir que con una pastillita
(finasteride) y una loción (minoxidil), la cosa ha cambiado radicalmente. 


Feliz nuevo año para todos !!!!! 

Dr José Lapenta R. 

EDITORIAL ENGLISH
=================
Hello Friends of the DERMA Cyber, DERMAGIC with the first delivery of the
year brings this interesting topic on THE ANDROGENIC ALOPECIA. I found 43
references that illustrate us very well this topic that never left of
being of interest for all. 

Some years ago it was said in the jargon: "alone the floor stops the fall
of the hair". Today we can say that with a pill (finasteride) and a lotion
(minoxidil), the thing change radically. 


Happy New year for all !!!! 

Dr. Jose Lapenta R. 
================================================================
DERMAGIC/EXPRESS(27)
================================================================
ALOPECIA ANDROGENICA// ANDROGENIC ALOPECIA 
================================================================
1.) Increased scalp skin and serum 5 alpha-reductase reduced
androgens in a man relevant to the acquired progressive
kinky hair disorder and developing androgenetic alopecia.
2.) Androgen metabolism as it affects hair growth in 
androgenetic alopecia.
3.) [Finasteride: a new drug for the treatment of male hirsutism
and androgenetic alopecia?]
[La finasteride: un nuovo farmaco nel trattamento dell'irsutismo e
dell'alopecia androgenica maschile?]
4.) Alterations in androgen conjugate levels in women and men with alopecia.
5.) Hormonal basis of male and female androgenic alopecia: clinical relevance.
6.) [Current treatment of androgenetic male and female alopecia
(with the exception of hormone treatment)]
[Traitements actuels des alopecies androgenetiques masculines et feminines
(traitements hormonaux exceptes).]
7.) Androgenetic alopecia: an autosomal dominant disorder.
8.) [Hair growth promoters in androgenetic alopecia. Expectations and
reality] [Haarwuchsmittel bei androgenetischer Alopezie. Anspruch und
Realitat.]
9.) Effects of ozonized autohaemotherapy on human hair cycle.
10.) Estrogen and progesterone receptors in androgenic alopecia
versus alopecia areata.
11.) Androgens and women's health.
12.) Female androgenetic alopecia: an update.
13.) A prospective study of the prevalence of clear-cut endocrine
disorders and polycystic ovaries in 350 patients presenting
with hirsutism or androgenic alopecia.
14.) Ketoconazole shampoo: effect of long-term use in androgenic alopecia. 
15.) Anagen hairs may fail to replace telogen hairs in early androgenic
female alopecia. 
16.) Different levels of 5alpha-reductase type I and II, aromatase, and
androgen receptor in hair follicles of women and men with androgenetic
alopecia. 
17.) Safety surveillance of esterified estrogens-methyltestosterone
(Estratest and Estratest HS) replacement therapy in the United States. 
18.) Balding hair follicle dermal papilla cells contain higher levels of
androgen receptors than those from non-balding scalp. 
19.) A comparison of the culture and growth of dermal papilla cells from
hair follicles from non-balding and balding (androgenetic alopecia) scalp. 
20.) Messenger RNA expression of steroidogenesis enzyme subtypes in the
human pilosebaceous unit. 
21.) Treatment of androgen excess in females: yesterday, today and tomorrow. 
22.) Association of benign prostatic hyperplasia with male pattern baldness. 
23.) Hair regrowth. Therapeutic agents. 
24.) Androgenic effects of oral contraceptives: implications for patient
compliance. 
25.) Diffuse hypertrichosis during treatment with 5% topical minoxidil.
26.) Minoxidil upregulates the expression of vascular endothelial growth
factor in human hair dermal papilla cells. 
27.) Biphasic effects of minoxidil on the proliferation and differentiation
of normal human keratinocytes. 
28.) Alopecia and mood stabilizer therapy. 
29.) Improvement in androgenetic alopecia (stage V) using topical minoxidil
in a retinoid vehicle and oral finasteride [see comments] 
30.) Clinical significance of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone
metabolism in women] 
31.) The 5 alpha-reductase system and its inhibitors. Recent development
and its perspective in treating androgen-dependent skin disorders. 
32.) Finasteride: a clinical review. 
33.) 19-nor-10-azasteroids: a novel class of inhibitors for human steroid
5alpha-reductases 1 and 2. 
34.) Genetic analysis of male pattern baldness and the 5alpha-reductase
genes. 
35.) Effects of topically applied spironolactone on androgen stimulated
sebaceous glands in the hamster pinna. 
36.) Androgens affect the activity of human sebocytes in culture in a
manner dependent on the localization of the sebaceous glands and their
effect is antagonized by spironolactone. 
37.) Antiandrogen treatment with spironolactone and linestrenol decreases
bone mineral density in eumenorrhoeic women with androgen excess. 
38.) [Serum hormones before and during therapy with cyproterone acetate and
spironolactone in patients with androgenization] 
39.) The insulin resistance in women with hyperandrogenism is partially
reversed by antiandrogen treatment: evidence that androgens impair insulin
action in women. 
40.) Topical spironolactone reduces sebum secretion rates in young adults. 
41.) Other antiandrogens. 
42.) Mechanism of action and pure antiandrogenic properties of flutamide. 
43.) Drospirenone: a novel progestogen with antimineralocorticoid and
antiandrogenic activity. 
======================================================================
1.) Increased scalp skin and serum 5 alpha-reductase reduced
androgens in a man relevant to the acquired progressive
kinky hair disorder and developing androgenetic alopecia.
======================================================================

Arch Dermatol 1997 Sep;133(9):1129-33 (ISSN: 0003-987X)

Boudou P; Reygagne P [Find other articles with these Authors]

Department of Hormonal Biology, Saint-Louis University Hospital, Paris,
France.

BACKGROUND: The acquired progressive kinking of scalp hair is a disorder in
which affected
hairs resemble secondary sexual hairs. Some authors have evoked an
androgen-related disorder
that heralds the onset of androgenetic alopecia. To verify this hypothesis,
we focused our attention
on a 23-year-old man who has this unusual disorder, which is progressing
toward androgenetic
alopecia. Patient's circulating 5 alpha-reductase reduced androgen levels;
scalp skin 5
alpha-dihydrotestosterone formation; and trichography, histological,
scanning, and polarizing
electron microscopy analyses were compared in normal and affected scalp
skin areas.
OBSERVATIONS: Results of histological and scalp skin 5
alpha-dihydrotestosterone formation
analyses and comparison of growth pattern of kinky hair in the affected
areas with that of healthy
hair were similar to those found in androgenetic alopecia. CONCLUSIONS: No
data are available
to confirm the presence of a sole entity, even if our arguments support our
hypothesis. The
confirmation of this tendency warrants further investigation. 

======================================================================
2.) Androgen metabolism as it affects hair growth in 
androgenetic alopecia.
======================================================================
Dermatol Clin 1996 Oct;14(4):697-711 (ISSN: 0733-8635)

Kaufman KD [Find other articles with this Author]

Merck Research Laboratories, Rahway, New Jersey, USA.

Androgens, in combination with a genetic susceptibility, have been
demonstrated to be required for
the development of androgenetic alopecia. Disturbances in androgen
metabolism or target organ
sensitivity are thought to underlie the pathophysiology of the condition.
Observations of patients with
disorders of androgen metabolism or function have determined the basic
physiology involved in
regulation of hair growth by androgens at selective body sites. More
recently, in vitro studies of
scalp skin and hair follicles have begun to define specific alterations in
androgen metabolism at the
local level that may play a key role in pathogenesis. The prominent role of
5-reductase in these
studies suggests that inhibitors of this enzyme may provide new therapeutic
opportunities for patients
with androgenetic alopecia. 

======================================================================
3.) [Finasteride: a new drug for the treatment of male hirsutism
and androgenetic alopecia?]
[La finasteride: un nuovo farmaco nel trattamento dell'irsutismo e
dell'alopecia androgenica maschile?]
======================================================================
Clin Ter 1996 Jun;147(6):305-15 (ISSN: 0009-9074)

Spinucci G; Pasquali R [Find other articles with these Authors]

Dipartimento di Medicina interna e Gastroenterologia, Policlinico S.
Orsola-Malpighi, Bologna.

Finasteride is a drug which inhibits the transformation of testosterone
into its active metabolite,
dihydrotestosterone, in the target organs, i.e. the skin, the scalp, the
liver and the prostate. In the
pathogenic mechanism of hirsutism and androgenetic alopecia, and important
role is presumably
played by alterations of the mechanisms which transform testosterone into
dihydrotestosterone. In
some conditions an increase in dihydrotestosterone has been demonstrated,
due to increased
activity of the enzyme 5 alpha-reductase. The effect of finasteride
develops above all at the level of
type II 5 alpha-reductase. Recent studies have evaluated the effect of
finasteride in patients of both
sexes with hirsutism and androgenetic alopecia. In women with various forms
of hyperandrogenism,
the use of the drug at the doses commonly used for the treatment of benign
prostatic hyperplasia
seems to have induced a significant reduction in the degree of hirsutism.
Furthermore, both in
animals and men with alopecia, the drug seems to have led to an increase in
the number and an
improvement in the shape of the follicles in the anagen phase, and a
simultaneous decrease of
dehydrotestosterone at the level of the scalp. This study represents a
review of the main results
obtained over the last two years and reports the prospects which the use of
finasteride may have in
this context. 


======================================================================
4.) Alterations in androgen conjugate levels in women and men with alopecia.
======================================================================
Fertil Steril 1994 Oct;62(4):744-50 (ISSN: 0015-0282)

Legro RS; Carmina E; Stanczyk FZ; Gentzschein E; Lobo RA [Find other
articles with these
Authors]

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Southern California
School of Medicine,
Los Angeles.

OBJECTIVE: To assess levels of androgen metabolites thought to reflect, at
least in part,
peripheral androgen activity in women with androgenic alopecia and men with
premature balding
in an effort to determine if a common abnormality exists. DESIGN:
Prospective study in various
groups of women and men. SETTING: Reproductive Endocrine Clinic at our
university medical
center. PATIENTS: Ten normal ovulatory female controls and 50
hyperandrogenic women divided
on the basis of hirsutism and alopecia as follows: [1] 8 hirsute women with
androgenic alopecia;
[2] 12 nonhirsute women with androgenic alopecia; [3] 18 hirsute women
without androgenic
alopecia; and [4] 12 nonhirsute women without androgenic alopecia. Ten
normal men and 10
young premature balding men matched for age and weight also were compared.
INTERVENTION:
Blood was obtained from all subjects. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Comparison of
blood
hormone levels in the various groups. RESULTS: Serum T, androstenedione,
and DHEAS were
similarly elevated in hyperandrogenic women with and without alopecia,
compared with controls.
The female groups were then divided on the basis of hirsutism. Hirsute
groups with and without
alopecia had similarly elevated levels of unconjugated 3
alpha-androstanediol, 3
alpha-androstanediol glucuronide, 3 alpha-androstanediol sulfate,
androsterone glucuronide, and
androsterone sulfate compared with controls. In the nonhirsute groups,
androgenic alopecia
patients were compared with hyperandrogenic females and cycling controls.
The androgenic
alopecia patients had elevated levels of 3 alpha androstanediol (0.75 +/-
0.12 versus 0.46 +/- 0.1
and 0.41 +/- 0.1 nmol/L), 3 alpha-androstanediol sulfate (200 +/- 31 versus
79.6 +/- 6 and 67.0
+/- 4.0 nmol/L), elevated ratios of 3 alpha-androstanediol sulfate:3
alpha-androstanediol (267 +/-
49 versus 170 +/- 20 and 164 +/- 49 nmol/L), elevated ratios of 3
alpha-androstanediol sulfate:3
alpha-androstanediol glucuronide (32.2 +/- 6 versus 10.8 +/- 1 and 10.0 +/-
1) and lower ratios of
3 alpha-androstanediol glucuronide:3 alpha-androstanediol glucuronide (8.3
+/- 1.8 versus 17 +/-
1.7 and 15.2 +/- 1.6 nmol/L). In men the premature balding group had lower
levels of 3
alpha-androstanediol glucuronide compared with the male controls (29.8 +/-
4.4 versus 15.2 +/-
1.6 nmol/L). Also, the ratio of 3 alpha-androstanediol glucuronide:3
alpha-androstanediol was
significantly decreased, whereas the ratio of 3 alpha-androstanediol
sulfate:3 alpha-androstanediol
glucuronide was elevated. CONCLUSIONS: These data provided evidence
confirming that
enhanced 5 alpha-reductase activity occurs in androgenic alopecia but also
suggests that a
disorder of androgen conjugation, favoring sulfurylation over
glucuronidation, may be a
characteristic feature of scalp hair loss. 

======================================================================
5.) Hormonal basis of male and female androgenic alopecia: clinical relevance.
======================================================================
Skin Pharmacol 1994;7(1-2):61-6 (ISSN: 1011-0283)

Schmidt JB [Find other articles with this Author]

Department of Dermatology, University of Vienna Medical School, Austria.

A broad range of hormones was determined in males and females with
androgenic hair loss (AH).
The androgens testosterone, androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate,
17-hydroxyprogesterone and sex hormone binding globulin were evaluated in
65 male and 46
female patients. Besides estradiol (E2), cortisol (F), and the hypophyseal
hormones LH, FSH, and
prolactin (PRL) were investigated. Hormone levels were compared with those
of 58 age-matched
male and 45 female controls. In 38 of the 46 female AH patients,
hypophyseal function was
moreover evaluated by the 'TRH test', which detects slight, secondary
hypothyroidism and/or
hyperprolactinemia. Our findings showed a significant elevation of F in
both male and female AH
patients compared to controls, pointing to the suprarenes as a contributing
factor in AH. This is
confirmed by the observation of exacerbated AH in periods of increased
stress. Concerning
specifically male androgens, a significant elevation of androstenedione was
noted. The mainly
peripheral activity of this hormone and elevated E2 levels in males stress
the importance of
androgen metabolism especially at the peripheral level. Additional TRH
tests in females
demonstrated significant hypophyseal hypothyroidism. Multilayered
interaction between thyroid
hormones and androgens may contribute to the development of AH in
hyperthyroid patients.
Another significant finding was elevated PRL after TRH stimulation. Thus,
the androgen-stimulating
effect of PRL may also play a role in female AH. Our findings show
multilayered hormonal
influences in AH. Broad-range hormone determination demonstrated a
differentiated hormonal
situation in this disorder. 

======================================================================
6.) [Current treatment of androgenetic male and female alopecia
(with the exception of hormone treatment)]
[Traitements actuels des alopecies androgenetiques masculines et feminines
(traitements hormonaux exceptes).]
======================================================================

Schweiz Rundsch Med Prax 1997 Jun 4;86(23):996-9 (ISSN: 1013-2058)

Bouhanna P [Find other articles with this Author]

Centre Sabourdaud du Cuir chevelu, Hopital Saint-Louis, Paris.

Various non-hormonal therapies, either prescribed systemically such as
certain hair-specific
vitamins, or applied via the topical route, such as 2% Minoxidil, permit a
normalisation of
androgenic hair loss. The trichogenic action of these products should be
verified in each individual
with a comparative study using a trichogram and a phototrichogram. Any
alopecia, be it large or
small, may cause aesthetic discomfort. Currently, no medical or cosmetic
product can give hope for
a discernible and definitive hair regrowth. Only a micrograft
reimplantation, hair by hair, produces
tangible, aesthetically-denser hair in the bald region. 

======================================================================
7.) Androgenetic alopecia: an autosomal dominant disorder.
======================================================================
Am J Med 1995 Jan 16;98(1A):95S-98S (ISSN: 0002-9343)

Bergfeld WF [Find other articles with this Author]

Department of Dermatology, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Ohio 44195-5032.

A hereditary, androgen-driven disorder, androgenetic alopecia is the most
common form of
alopecia in humans: its prevalence is 23-87%. Central alopecia is more
severe in men; women are
more likely to experience diffuse thinning. The acute onset of alopecia in
those with inflammatory
diseases of the scalp suggests a variety of etiologies, including the
impact of inflammatory cells,
release of cytokines, presence of growth factors, and increased interaction
of stromal cells.
Therapeutic modalities, which are most effective when used in combinations,
utilize hair growth
promoters, antiandrogens, and androgen blockade agents. 

======================================================================
8.) [Hair growth promoters in androgenetic alopecia. Expectations and reality]
[Haarwuchsmittel bei androgenetischer Alopezie. Anspruch und Realitat.]
======================================================================
Hautarzt 1994 Jun;45(6):360-3 (ISSN: 0017-8470)

Schell H; Kiesewetter F; Hornstein OP [Find other articles with these Authors]

Dermatologische Universitats-Klinik, Erlangen.

Androgenetic hair loss is the most frequent reason for the topical
application of
hair-growth-promoting agents. Such preparations should arrest or even
reverse androgen-induced
hair follicle regression as well as prolonging the hair cycles, especially
of the shortened anagen
phase, and thus protect from increased hair loss. True evidence of drug
effects on hair growth is
problematic, since trichograms, the method chiefly applied by the
manufacturers, fail to reveal every
factor involved in the follicular activity, especially the duration of
anagen stage. For example, an
increase in the anagen rate does not always reflect a lengthening of the
anagen stage, but may also
be due to shortened hair cycles. Accordingly, drug effects on hair growth
should be investigated by
methods that analyse the cell cycle kinetics. For this approach
DNA-flowcytometry of the outer
root sheath in plucked anagen hairs and of complete anagen hair bulbs taken
by micropreparative
techniques from scalp biopsies offers a reproducible method for quick and
reliable evaluation of hair
growth. 

======================================================================
9.) Effects of ozonized autohaemotherapy on human hair cycle.
======================================================================
Panminerva Med 1995 Sep;37(3):129-32 (ISSN: 0031-0808)

Riva Sanseverino E; Castellacci P; Misciali C; Borrello P; Venturo N [Find
other articles with these
Authors]

Institute of Human Physiology, University of Bologna, Italy.

The present paper deals with the effects of ozonized autohaemotherapy on
the human hair cycle in
subjects suffering from androgenetic alopecia. The microscopic observation
of hairs (trichogram) of
42 subjects (age range = 17-40 years) was carried out before and after
cycles of ozonized
autohaemotherapy according to the European scientific protocol. The dosage
of ozone was
2500-3000 micrograms for each treatment, one cycle consisting of 16
treatments. Results showed a
marked improvement of the hair cycle. 

======================================================================
10.) Estrogen and progesterone receptors in androgenic alopecia
versus alopecia areata.
======================================================================
Am J Dermatopathol 1998 Apr;20(2):160-3 (ISSN: 0193-1091)

Wallace ML; Smoller BR [Find other articles with these Authors]

Department of Pathology and Dermatology, Medical College of
Virginia/Virginia Commonwealth
University, Richmond, USA.

In some situations, hair growth is under hormonal control. Androgenic
alopecia is characterized as
hormonally driven hair loss in the genetically susceptible individual.
During pregnancy, hair growth is
increased, as estrogen appears to prolong the anagen phase. However,
postpartum hair loss is
common, and thus may be related to a decrease in estrogen and or
progesterone levels. In contrast,
alopecia areata is not considered to be under hormonal control. We compared
the
immunohistochemical staining characteristics of nine cases of androgenic
alopecia with those of 13
cases of alopecia areata using estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone
receptor (PR) markers.
Estrogen receptor positivity in the dermal papilla was found in only two of
13 cases of alopecia
areata, and in one case of androgenic alopecia. Six of 13 cases of alopecia
areata
demonstrated focal reactivity with the progesterone marker in a similar
location, while only three
cases of androgenic alopecia showed positivity with this antibody.
Examination of the perifollicular
fibroblasts for the ER marker showed positivity in one of 13 cases of
alopecia areata and in one
case of androgenic alopecia. Two cases of alopecia areata revealed focal
staining in this location
for the PR marker, while the androgenic alopecia cases failed to stain.
These results indicate that
estrogen and progesterone receptor expression is not significantly
increased or decreased in the
pilosebaceous units or surrounding mesenchymal cells in androgenic alopecia
vs. alopecia
areata. Therefore, an indirectly mediated process of estrogen/progesterone
control on hair growth
and development must be presumed for cases of androgenic alopecia. 

======================================================================
11.) Androgens and women's health.
======================================================================
Int J Fertil Womens Med 1998 Mar-Apr;43(2):91-7

Redmond GP [Find other articles with this Author]

Center for Health Studies, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio 44122, USA.

Androgenic disorders are those conditions in women characterized by
excessive androgen action.
They are the most common endocrinopathy of women, affecting from 10% to
20%. Signs are:
persistent acne, hirsutism and androgenic alopecia, which is the female
equivalent of male pattern
baldness. A subgroup, those traditionally labeled as having polycystic
ovary syndrome (PCOS),
additionally have anovulation, as well as menstrual abnormalities and,
often, obesity. Although
women with androgenic disorders usually present themselves for help with
the skin or menstrual
changes, there are other important implications regarding their health.
Women with PCOS have
varying degrees of insulin resistance, and an increased incidence of Type
II diabetes mellitus, as well
as unfavorable lipid patterns. The presence of these risk factors is
suggested by upper segment
obesity, darkening of the skin, and the other skin changes that make up
acanthosis nigricans.
Diagnosis involves measurement of circulating androgens (of which free
testosterone is most
important), together with prolactin and FSH when menstrual dysfunction is
present. Many women
with androgenic skin changes have normal serum androgen levels, suggesting
increased end organ
sensitivity to androgens. Others have hyperandrogenism (of ovarian or
adrenal origin). Treatment is
usually successful in controlling acne, reducing hirsutism and stabilizing,
or partially reversing,
androgenic alopecia. Pharmacological approaches involve suppressing
androgen levels, for
example, the use of an appropriate oral contraceptive, or antagonizing
androgen action with several
medications that have this activity. Unfortunately, most women with
androgenic disorders are
frustrated in their efforts to obtain medical help. Understanding
androgenic disorders will enable the
physician to significantly help the majority of women with these conditions. 

======================================================================
12.) Female androgenetic alopecia: an update.
======================================================================
Australas J Dermatol 1995 May;36(2):51-5; quiz 56-7 (ISSN: 0004-8380)

Callan AW; Montalto J [Find other articles with these Authors]

Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville,
Victoria, Australia.

Androgenetic alopecia is an androgen dependent disorder occurring in
genetically susceptible
individuals. The pattern of hair loss in women differs from that of
classical male pattern alopecia,
being more diffuse and with retention of the frontal hair line in most
cases. Characteristic
histopathological changes occur but biopsy is rarely helpful in diagnosis.
Although research has
shown subtle alterations in the androgen status of women with androgenetic
alopecia, most
patients presenting with this disorder are normal endocrinologically.
Anti-androgen therapy will
result in some improvement in up to 50% of patients after 6 to 12 months of
therapy, but in practice
will usually only decrease the rate of hair loss and not result in new hair
growth. 

======================================================================
13.) A prospective study of the prevalence of clear-cut endocrine
disorders and polycystic ovaries in 350 patients presenting
with hirsutism or androgenic alopecia.
======================================================================
Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) 1994 Aug;41(2):231-6 (ISSN: 0300-0664)

O'Driscoll JB; Mamtora H; Higginson J; Pollock A; Kane J; Anderson DC [Find
other articles with
these Authors]

Department of Radiology, Skin Hospital, Salford.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of polycystic ovaries (PCO) on
ultrasound and the
incidence of clearcut endocrine disorders leading to virilization in
patients complaining of hirsutism or
androgenic alopecia. The major purpose was to determine a coherent policy
for the routine
biochemical assessment of such women. DESIGN: A prospective study of women
attending a joint
skin/endocrine clinic complaining of these problems. PATIENTS: Three
hundred and fifty
consecutive women with hirsutism and/or androgenic alopecia were assessed.
MEASUREMENTS: Baseline endocrine screens were conducted on two occasions
and included
measurement of serum testosterone, androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone
sulphate, sex
hormone binding globulin, LH, FSH, 17-hydroxyprogesterone and PRL. The
ovaries were
visualized by high-resolution pelvic ultrasound scanning. RESULTS: Eight
women were identified
with relevant endocrine disorders; of these, one was acromegalic and one had a
microprolactinoma--in both cases the association may have been fortuitous.
Three had clear-cut
21-hydroxylase deficiency, one a rare hepatic enzyme deficiency
(11-reductase), one a virilizing
adrenal carcinoma and one a Leydig cell tumour. The latter six cases all
had persistently elevated
levels of serum testosterone ( 5 nmol/l). In all, 13 women had baseline
testosterone levels in
excess of 5 nmol/l. Polycystic ovaries were present in 81% of the cases who
had erratic cycles and
52% of those with regular cycles; PCO were present in two of the women with
21-hydroxylase
deficiency and in the woman with 11-oxoreductase deficiency. The Leydig
cell tumour (1.2 cm
diameter) was not detected on ultrasound or CT scan. CONCLUSIONS: For the
exclusion of
enzyme deficiencies and virilizing tumours clinical assessment and a single
serum testosterone
measurement will suffice. 

======================================================================
14.) Ketoconazole shampoo: effect of long-term use in androgenic alopecia. 
======================================================================
Author 
Pi´erard-Franchimont C; De Doncker P; Cauwenbergh G; Pi´erard GE 
Address 
Department of Dermatopathology, University of Li`ege, Belgium. 
Source 
Dermatology, 196(4):474-7 1998 
Abstract 
BACKGROUND: The pathogenesis of androgenic alopecia is not fully
understood. A
microbial-driven inflammatory reaction abutting on the hair follicles
might participate in the
hair status anomaly. OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to determine
if ketoconazole
(KCZ) which is active against the scalp microflora and shows some
intrinsic
anti-inflammatory activity might improve alopecia. METHOD: The effect
of 2% KCZ
shampoo was compared to that of an unmedicated shampoo used in
combination with or
without 2% minoxidil therapy. RESULTS: Hair density and size and
proportion of anagen
follicles were improved almost similarly by both KCZ and minoxidil
regimens. The sebum
casual level appeared to be decreased by KCZ. CONCLUSION: Comparative
data suggest
that there may be a significant action of KCZ upon the course of
androgenic alopecia and
that Malassezia spp. may play a role in the inflammatory reaction. The
clinical significance of
the results awaits further controlled study in a larger group of
subjects. 

======================================================================
15.) Anagen hairs may fail to replace telogen hairs in early androgenic
female alopecia. 
======================================================================
Author 
Guarrera M; Rebora A 
Address 
Department of Dermatology, University of Genoa, Italy. 
Source 
Dermatology, 192(1):28-31 1996 
Abstract 
Background: Male baldness develops because of an increased duration of
the lag phase.
Objective and Methods: To assess if this occurs also in balding women
we studied 2 women
with Ludwig type I-II patterned baldness for 2 years with monthly
phototrichograms. Hairs
were identified as thick anagen hairs, thin anagen hairs and telogen
hairs. Results and
Conclusions: Most of the hairs followed the expected development,
namely they remained
thick anagen hairs or they became thick from thin anagen, telogen from
thick anagen or thin
anagen from telogen hairs. Other hairs, though, became thin from thick
anagen or telogen
from thin anagen or thick anagen from telogen hairs. Still others did
not regrow immediately
after being in the telogen phase, leaving an empty space. Some empty
spaces were not
refilled for a long time. As in men, in balding women tiny bald spots
develop corresponding to
telogen hairs not replaced in due time. 

======================================================================
16.) Different levels of 5alpha-reductase type I and II, aromatase, and
androgen receptor in hair follicles of women and men with androgenetic
alopecia. 
======================================================================
Author 
Sawaya ME; Price VH 
Address 
Department of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville 32610, U.S.A. 
Source 
J Invest Dermatol, 109(3):296-300 1997 Sep 
Abstract 
In this study, 12 women and 12 men, ages 18-33 y, with androgenetic
alopecia were
selected for biopsies from frontal and occipital scalp sites. The
androgen receptor, type I
and II 5alpha-reductase, cytochrome P-450-aromatase enzyme were
measured and
analyzed in hair follicles from these scalp biopsies. Findings
revealed that both women and
men have higher levels of receptors and 5alpha-reductase type I and II
in frontal hair follices
than in occipital follicles, whereas higher levels of aromatase were
found in their occipital
follicles. There are marked quantitative differences in levels of
androgen receptors and the
three enzymes, which we find to be primarily in the outer root sheath
of the hair follicles in the
two genders. Androgen receptor content in female frontal hair
follicles was approximately
40% lower than in male frontal hair follicle. Cytochrome
P-450-aromatase content in
women's frontal hair follicles was six times greater than in frontal
hair follicles in men. Frontal
hair follicles in women had 3 and 3.5 times less 5alpha-reductase type
I and II, respectively,
than frontal hair follicles in men. These differences in levels of
androgen receptor and
steroid-converting enzymes may account for the different clinical
presentations of
androgenetic alopecia in women and men. 

======================================================================
17.) Safety surveillance of esterified estrogens-methyltestosterone
(Estratest and Estratest HS) replacement therapy in the United States. 
======================================================================
Author 
Phillips E; Bauman C 
Address 
Drug Safety Unit, Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Marietta, Georgia, USA. 
Source 
Clin Ther, 19(5):1070-84 1997 Sep-Oct 
Abstract 
This paper summarizes all postmarketing safety surveillance data
collected by Solvay
Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Marietta, Georgia), between 1989 and 1996 for
Estratest and
Estratest HS (half-strength). These oral esterified
estrogens--methyltestosterone combination
products have been marketed in the United States since 1964 for the
treatment of
moderate-to-severe vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause in
patients whose
symptoms have not been relieved by estrogens alone. Between 1989 and
1996, more than 1
million woman-years of exposure occurred. The safety profile contained
in this paper is
based on a cumulative total of 568 individual cases comprising 863
adverse events (AEs).
The proportions of AEs associated with the use of Estratest (575
events; 66.6%) and
Estratest HS (288 events; 33.4%) were commensurate with the
proportions of individual
reports of adverse experiences for the two formulations (369 reports
[65.0%] and 199
reports [35.0%], respectively). The rank order and percentage of types
of AEs reported
were also similar. The cumulative volume of reports was relatively low
given the extent of
exposure. Despite the limitations inherent in spontaneous
postmarketing surveillance, the
safety profile derived from this assessment does not indicate a
significant safety concern with
Estratest or Estratest HS. No deaths were reported, and no adverse
findings indicative of the
need for more comprehensive surveillance or concern on the part of the
medical community
or consumers were observed. Reports of cancer, cardiovascular disease,
thromboembolic
phenomena, and hepatic dysfunction were few and were assessed as not
related to treatment
with Estratest or Estratest HS; reports of drug overdose, drug-drug
interaction, and birth
defects were rare (4 of 863 events; 0.5%). The most commonly reported
AEs were those
known to be associated with estrogen therapy (weight gain, headache,
nausea, and
vasodilatation) and androgen treatment (alopecia, acne, and
hirsutism). Twenty-three
(4.0%) of the 568 cases reported had at least one event that was
regarded as serious, and
53 (6.1%) of the total 863 AEs were regarded as serious. The findings
indicate that Estratest
and Estratest HS are safe when used as directed and that the marginal
increase in risk
associated with androgen coadministration can be managed with
appropriate patient
selection and monitoring, as stated in the package insert for these
compounds. 

======================================================================
18.) Balding hair follicle dermal papilla cells contain higher levels of
androgen receptors than those from non-balding scalp. 
======================================================================
Author 
Hibberts NA; Howell AE; Randall VA 
Address 
Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Bradford, UK. 
Source 
J Endocrinol, 156(1):59-65 1998 Jan 
Abstract 
Androgens can gradually transform large scalp hair follicles to
smaller vellus ones, causing
balding. The mechanisms involved are unclear, although androgens are
believed to act on
the epithelial hair follicle via the mesenchyme-derived dermal
papilla. This study investigates
whether the levels and type of androgen receptors in primary lines of
cultured dermal papilla
cells derived from balding scalp hair follicles differ from those of
follicles from non-balding
scalp. Androgen receptor content was measured by saturation analysis
using the
non-metabolisable androgen, [3H]mibolerone (0.05-10 nM) in a 9-10
point assay. Pubic
dermal fibroblasts and Shionogi cells were examined as positive
controls. Repetitive assays of
Shionogi cells showed good precision in the levels of androgen
receptor content (coefficient
of variation = 3.7%). Specific, high affinity, low capacity androgen
receptors were detected
in dermal papilla cells from both balding and non-balding follicles.
Balding cells contained
significantly (P < 0.01) greater levels of androgen receptors (Bmax =
0.06 +/- 0.01
fmol/10(4) cells (mean +/- S.E.M.)) than those from non-balding scalp
(0.04 +/- 0.001).
Competition studies with a range of steroids showed no differences in
receptor binding
specificity in the two cell types. The higher levels of androgen
receptors in cells from balding
scalp hair follicles with similar properties to those from non-balding
scalp concur with the
expectations from their in vivo responses to androgens. This supports
the hypothesis that
androgens act via the dermal papilla and suggests that cultured dermal
papilla cells may offer
a model system for studying androgen action in androgenetic alopecia. 
======================================================================
19.) A comparison of the culture and growth of dermal papilla cells from
hair follicles from non-balding and balding (androgenetic alopecia) scalp. 
======================================================================
Author 
Randall VA; Hibberts NA; Hamada K 
Address 
Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Bradford, U.K. 
Source 
Br J Dermatol, 134(3):437-44 1996 Mar 
Abstract 
Male pattern baldness is a common, androgen-dependent skin problem in
adult men which
is not well understood, although androgens are believed to act on the
hair follicle via the
mesenchyme-derived dermal papilla situated in the middle of the hair
follicle bulb. Since
dermal papilla cells retain specific characteristics in culture, such
as hair-growth promoting
ability and appropriate features of the mechanism of androgen action,
dermal papilla cells
from follicles undergoing androgen-stimulated miniaturization may
provide a useful in vitro
model system. Therefore, dermal papilla cells have been derived from
intermediate follicles
from balding and nearly clinically normal sites of men with
androgenetic alopecia. Balding
dermal papillae were much smaller than non-balding ones and grew much
less well under
normal growth conditions. Supplementing the medium with human serum,
rather than fetal calf
serum, increased both the yield of established cultures and the number
and health of the
dermal papilla cells produced. Non-balding cells also grew faster in
human serum. Balding
cells retained the normal fibroblastic shape and aggregative behaviour
of dermal papilla cells,
but always grew less well than non-balding cells. Nearly clinically
normal dermal papillae
were similar, or slightly smaller, in size to non-balding ones, but
their growth resembled
balding cells. Since balding dermal papilla cells can be cultured,
though with much greater
difficulty than nonbalding ones, and exhibit differing growth
characteristics to non-balding
cells, they merit further investigation which may increase our
understanding of, and ability to
control, androgenetic alopecia. 
======================================================================
20.) Messenger RNA expression of steroidogenesis enzyme subtypes in the
human pilosebaceous unit. 
======================================================================
Author 
Courchay G; Boyera N; Bernard BA; Mahe Y 
Address 
Hair Biology Research Group, L'Or´eal, Centre de recherche C. Zviak,
Clichy, France. 
Source 
Skin Pharmacol, 9(3):169-76 1996 
Abstract 
In order to define the respective involvement of steroidogenesis
enzymes subtypes in the
control of hair follicle homeostasis, we evaluated, by
semiquantitative RT/PCR, the
expression levels of mRNAs coding for 17 beta-hydroxysteroid
dehydrogenase type 1 and
type 2, 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, Cyt.P450-aromatase,
steroid 5
alpha-reductase type 1 and type 2 and 11 beta-hydroxysteroid
dehydrogenase. These assays
were performed for several components of the pilosebaceous unit (PSU);
fresh plucked
anagen hairs, sebaceous glands and primary culture of dermal papilla,
as well as other tissues
involved in an active steroid metabolism (human testis, liver,
placenta, prostate, ovary, uterus
and adrenals) as controls. We found that plucked hair (i.e. mainly
keratinocytes from the
inner and outer root sheaths) expressed: (1) very high levels of 17
beta-hydroxysteroid
dehydrogenase type 2 corresponding to levels found in liver and
placenta; (2) high levels of
steroid 5-alpha-reductase type 1 corresponding to levels found in
testis, liver and ovary, and
moderate levels of 17 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1, which
corresponded to
the expression in testis, prostate and uterus. In contrast,
Cyt.P450-aromatase, 3
beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and steroid 5 alpha-reductase type 2
were poorly
expressed in the pilosebaceous unit as compared with other tissues.
Interestingly, expression
patterns of these enzymes in primary cultures of dermal papilla were
distinctive since 5
alpha-reductase type 1 and 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase were
the only mRNA
detected. Taken together, these results suggest that not only
sebaceous gland but also outer
root sheath keratinocytes may contribute, through the activity of the
steroid 5 alpha-reductase
type 1, to the pathogenesis of androgen-dependent alopecia. 
======================================================================
21.) Treatment of androgen excess in females: yesterday, today and tomorrow. 
======================================================================
Author 
Pucci E; Petraglia F 
Address 
Institute of Endocrinology, University of Pisa, Italy. 
Source 
Gynecol Endocrinol, 11(6):411-33 1997 Dec 
Abstract 
Hirsutism, acne and androgenic alopecia represent, in females, some of
the manifestations
of the clinical spectrum of hyperandrogenism. These pictures represent
not only cosmetic
damage, but also a source of remarkable psychological distress. Often
hirsutism is regarded
as presumptive evidence of a lack of femininity. The major diagnostic
concern is to exclude
an ovarian or adrenal androgen-secreting tumor, a congenital
hyperplasia or polycystic
ovary disease. Ethnic background should be taken into account together
with the progression
of the symptoms. Following the etiology, surgery and exogenous
glucocorticoids or inhibition
of gonadotropin secretion have to be carefully chosen in the
management of different kinds of
hyperandrogenism. Several pharmacologic agents have recently shown the
ability to block the
androgen receptors at target organ sites, thus allowing a specific
antiandrogenic treatment.
In some cases cosmetic measures could be of great value. Obesity
accompanied by
hyperinsulinemia can represent the main cause of ovary androgen
hypersecretion; therefore
a reduced body weight and muscle activity represent the basis of any
treatment. Some other
drugs, such as long-acting analogs of somatostatin, could be
considered among possible
drugs for the future. The aim of this article is to provide an
appraisal of what is presently
known about the regulation of hair growth, the various causes of
excessive androgen
secretion and the current methods to solve, safely, this important
feminine clinical problem. 
======================================================================
22.) Association of benign prostatic hyperplasia with male pattern baldness. 
======================================================================
Author 
Oh BR; Kim SJ; Moon JD; Kim HN; Kwon DD; Won YH; Ryu SB; Park YI 
Address 
Department of Urology, Chonnam University Medical School, Kwangju,
South Korea. 
Source 
Urology, 51(5):744-8 1998 May 
Abstract 
OBJECTIVES: Both benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and male pattern
baldness
(androgenic alopecia) share the pathogenesis of an androgen-dependent
disorder and
afflict a large population of elderly men with chronobiologic
progress. However, it is unclear
whether these diseases are related epidemiologically. We evaluated the
association of
frequency and severity of male pattern baldness between patients with
BPH and a control
group. METHODS: A total of 225 patients with BPH (mean age 69.3 +/-
6.5 years) and 1
60 controls (mean age 68.5 +/- 6.4 years), all over 60 years of age,
were included in this
study. The estimation of baldness severity was based on Norwood's
classification (grade I to
VII). The International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and genetic
tendency for baldness
were also evaluated. The difference between IPSS and grade of baldness
between the two
groups was analyzed by the Mann-Whitney test and the frequency of
inherited baldness was
compared by the chi-square test. Correlation between severity of
baldness and IPSS in each
group was estimated by Spearman's rank correlation method. RESULTS:
The patients with
BPH had an apparently higher grade of male pattern baldness in
comparison with that of
controls (median value of grade IV versus III, P <0.001). The
proportion of men with male
pattern baldness of grade IV or higher in the BPH group was
significantly larger than that of
controls (53.8% versus 36.9%, P <0.01). There was a greater frequency
of inherited
baldness in the BPH group than in the controls (31.6% versus 12.5%, P
<0.001). No
significant correlation was noted between baldness severity and IPSS
in either group.
CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates a strong association of BPH with
male pattern
baldness. 

======================================================================
23.) Hair regrowth. Therapeutic agents. 
======================================================================
Author 
Shapiro J; Price VH 
Address 
University of British Columbia Hair Research and Treatment Centre,
Division of
Dermatology, Vancouver, Canada. 
Source 
Dermatol Clin, 16(2):341-56 1998 Apr 
Abstract 
Today there are new classes of hair growth promotors with proven
efficacy. This article
reviews the current state of the art agents for treatment of two of
the most common forms of
hair loss encountered in clinical practice, androgenetic alopecia and
alopecia areata. Current
therapeutic strategies are based on recent advances in the
understanding of disordered hair
growth. Practical treatment protocols are presented. 
======================================================================
24.) Androgenic effects of oral contraceptives: implications for patient
compliance. 
======================================================================
Author 
Jones EE 
Address 
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yale University School of
Medicine, New
Haven, Connecticut. 
Source 
Am J Med, 98(1A):116S-119S 1995 Jan 16 
Abstract 
Androgenic disorders have many negative physical effects. These
effects may be caused by
excess androgen (exogenous or endogenous) or by end-organ sensitivity
to normal levels of
androgens. Historically, androgenic progestins in oral contraceptives
have also been
associated with some of these negative effects. The most apparent
signs of androgen excess
are the external manifestations, including oily skin, acne, hirsutism,
android obesity, and
androgenic alopecia. Of equal concern are the potential metabolic
disturbances associated
with hyperandrogenicity. Unfavorable lipid profiles and increased
incidence of diabetes and
hypertension are very real threats to long-term health. In oral
contraceptive users, external
manifestations of androgenicity often lead to poor compliance,
decreased efficacy, and
discontinuation of oral contraceptive use, especially in the younger
patient. With the
introduction of the newer oral contraceptive formulations containing
less androgenic
progestins (norgestimate, desogestrel, gestodene), androgen-related
effects have been
reduced and better compliance is anticipated. 
Language 

======================================================================
25.) Diffuse hypertrichosis during treatment with 5% topical minoxidil.
======================================================================

Author 
Peluso AM; Misciali C; Vincenzi C; Tosti A 
Address 
Department of Dermatology, University of Borogna, Italy. 
Source 
Br J Dermatol, 136(1):118-20 1997 Jan 
Abstract 
Five women affected by androgenetic alopecia developed severe
hypertrichosis of the face
and limbs after 2-3 months of treatment with 5% topical minoxidil.
Minoxidil was
discontinued and in all patients the hypertrichosis disappeared from
the face and arms after
1-3 months, and from legs after 4-5 months. Systemic absorption of
minoxidil, and a high
sensitivity to minoxidil of the follicular apparatus in these areas,
is hypothesized. 
======================================================================
26.) Minoxidil upregulates the expression of vascular endothelial growth
factor in human hair dermal papilla cells. 
======================================================================
Author 
Lachgar S; Charveron M; Gall Y; Bonafe JL 
Address 
Laboratoire de Biologie Cellulaire Cutan´ee, Institut de Recherche
Pierre Fabre, Facult´e de
M´edecine Rangueil, Toulouse, France. 
Source 
Br J Dermatol, 138(3):407-11 1998 Mar 
Abstract 
The hair follicle dermal papilla which controls hair growth, is
characterized in the anagen
phase by a highly developed vascular network. We have demonstrated in
a previous study
that the expression of an angiogenic growth factor called vascular
endothelial growth factor
(VEGF) mRNA varied during the hair cycle. VEGF mRNA is strongly
expressed in dermal
papilla cells (DPC) in the anagen phase, but during the catagen and
telogen phases. VEGF
mRNA is less strongly expressed. This involvement of VEGF during the
hair cycle allowed us
to determine whether VEGF mRNA expression by DPC was regulated by
minoxidil. In
addition, the effect of minoxidil on VEGF protein synthesis in both
cell extracts and
DPC-conditioned medium, was investigated immunoenzymatically. Both
VEGF mRNA and
protein were significantly elevated in treated DPC compared with
controls. DPC incubated
with increasing minoxidil concentrations (0.2, 2, 6, 12 and 24
mumol/L) induced a
dose-dependent expression of VEGF mRNA. Quantification of transcripts
showed that DPC
stimulated with 24 mumol/L minoxidil express six times more VEGF mRNA
than controls.
Similarly, VEGF protein production increases in cell extracts and
conditioned media following
minoxidil stimulation. These studies strongly support the likely
involvement of minoxidil in
the development of dermal papilla vascularization via a stimulation of
VEGF expression, and
support the hypothesis that minoxidil has a physiological role in
maintaining a good
vascularization of hair follicles in androgenetic alopecia. 
======================================================================
27.) Biphasic effects of minoxidil on the proliferation and differentiation
of normal human keratinocytes. 
======================================================================
Author 
Boyera N; Galey I; Bernard BA 
Address 
L'Or´eal, Hair Biology Research Group, Clichy, France. 
Source 
Skin Pharmacol, 10(4):206-20 1997 
Abstract 
Minoxidil is the most used drug with proved effects in the treatment
of androgenetic
alopecia (AGA), but little is known about its pharmacological activity
and target cells in hair
follicles. As AGA is characterized by follicle atrophy, accelerated
hair cycles and hair fiber
thinning, we postulated that keratinocyte
proliferation/differentiation is affected and we tested
Minoxidil's effects on those parameters. Normal human keratinocytes
(NHK) of follicular
or epidermal origin were cultured in the presence of Minoxidil (0,
0.1, 1, 10, 100, 1,000
microM) during 5-8 days in various media (high-/low-calcium content,
with or without
serum). Proliferation was assessed by mitochondrial dehydrogenase
activity (XTT), BrdU
incorporation, lysosome numeration (neutral red incorporation) and
total protein dosage.
Drug-induced cytotoxicity was measured by lactate dehydrogenase
release in culture
supernatant, and pro-differentiating effects were evaluated by
relative involucrin expression
(ELISA dosage). On this basis, we showed that Minoxidil had biphasic
effects on the
proliferation and differentiation of NHK: Minoxidil stimulated NHK
proliferation at
micromolar doses, while antiproliferative, pro-differentiative and
partially cytotoxic effects
were observed with millimolar concentrations. We can hypothesize that
Minoxidil
hypertrichotic activity in vivo is possibly mediated by the
maintenance of proliferative
potential in follicular keratinocytes precociously committed to
differentiation. 
======================================================================
28.) Alopecia and mood stabilizer therapy. 
======================================================================
Author 
McKinney PA; Finkenbine RD; DeVane CL 
Address 
Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston 29425, USA. 
Source 
Ann Clin Psychiatry, 8(3):183-5 1996 Sep 
Abstract 
Alopecia is a common side effect in patients managed on the mood
stabilizers lithium,
valproate, and carbamazepine. Clinicians may be reluctant to
discontinue medications in
patients suffering from hair loss if the mood stabilizer is otherwise
efficacious. Therefore it is
important to be familiar with the epidemiology, diagnosis, and
management of alopecia. A
single representative case is provided to illustrate briefly the
common presentation of a patient
with mood stabilizer-induced alopecia. A literature search was
conducted to provide the
basis for discussion of diagnosis, the association of mood stabilizers
with alopecia, and some
management options of this side effect. The diagnosis of alopecia
requires an understanding
of normal hair growth and is best made following a careful history, an
examination, and the
maintenance of a high level of suspicion. Alopecia occurs in about 10%
of persons managed
on lithium, up to 12% of persons on valproate, and less than 6% of
individuals on
carbamazepine. Management of alopecia includes reassurance, hair care
techniques, trace
mineral supplementation, treatment with minoxidil, and hair
replacement pieces. Alopecia
due to mood stabilizer drugs can be potentially identified and managed
without medication
discontinuation. 

======================================================================
29.) Improvement in androgenetic alopecia (stage V) using topical minoxidil
in a retinoid vehicle and oral finasteride [see comments] 
======================================================================
Author 
Walsh DS; Dunn CL; James WD 
Address 
Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA. 
Source 
Arch Dermatol, 131(12):1373-5 1995 Dec 
======================================================================
30.) Clinical significance of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone
metabolism in women] 
======================================================================
Author 
Kor¨si´c M 
Address 
Zavod za endokrinologiju, dijabetes i bolesti metabolizma Klinike za
unutarnje bolesti, KBC
Rebro, Zagreb. 
Source 
Lijec Vjesn, 118 Suppl 1():21-3 1996 Mar 
Abstract 
Hyperandrogenism in women refers to both excess androgen production
and clinical
manifestations of androgen excess. Clinical evaluation of women with
hyperandrogenism is
complex. The synthesis and release of androgenic steroid in women are
normal part of
adrenal and ovarian steroidogenesis. One of the classic questions
concerning androgenic
disorders concerns the source of circulating androgens. Relative roles
of adrenal and ovary
vary greatly, both can be involved. The use of gonadal or adrenal
steroid administration can
sometimes be used to distinguish the source of androgen excess. In
many cases of
hyperandrogenism no laboratory diagnosis of adrenal and ovarian
androgen overproduction
can be made. These patients may have increased androgen sensitivity
due to increased
enzyme 5 alpha-reductase activity in the skin. To be active in the
skin, testosterone (T) must
be converted to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) by the 5 alpha-reductase.
The increase in DHT
production is a localized phenomenon and there is no generalized
increase in enzyme activity
in women with hyperandrogenism. DHT is rapidly converted to other
steroid metabolites
including androsteron, androstanediol and their glucuronide and
sulfate conjugates. Although
once thought to be specific for skin conversion of T to DTH these
androgen conjugates
reflect adrenal steroid production and metabolism. Antiandrogens
(androgen receptor
blockers) are the most effective therapeutic modalities of cutaneous
hyperandrogenism.
Clinical trials are in progress to determine efficacy of finasteride
for the treatment of
hirsutism and androgenetic alopecia. Finasteride is the first
available medication of a new
class of drugs that is an competitive inhibitor of 5 alpha-reductase
and therefore should be
beneficial for medical treatment of cutaneous hyperandrogenism. 
======================================================================
31.) The 5 alpha-reductase system and its inhibitors. Recent development
and its perspective in treating androgen-dependent skin disorders. 
======================================================================
Author 
Chen W; Zouboulis CC; Orfanos CE 
Address 
Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center Benjamin
Franklin, Free University
of Berlin, Germany. 
Source 
Dermatology, 193(3):177-84 1996 
Abstract 
5 alpha-Reductase, the enzyme system that metabolizes testosterone into
dihydrotestosterone, occurs in two isoforms. The type 1 isozyme is
composed of 259 amino
acids, has an optimal pH of 6-9 and represents the 'cutaneous type';
it is located mainly in
sebocytes but also in epidermal and follicular keratinocytes, dermal
papilla cells and sweat
glands as well as in fibroblasts from genital and non-genital skin.
The type 2 isozyme is
composed of 254 amino acids, has an optimal pH of about 5.5 and is
located mainly in the
epididymis, seminal vesicles, prostate and fetal genital skin as well
as in the inner root sheath
of the hair follicle and in fibroblasts from normal adult genital
skin. The genes encoding type 1
and type 2 isozymes are found in chromosomes 5p and 2p, respectively,
and each consists of
5 exons and 4 introns. During the last decade, several steroid
analogues and non-steroid
agents have been developed to interfere with 5 alpha-reductase
activity. Finasteride, which
has a higher affinity for the type 2 isozyme, is the first 5
alpha-reductase antagonist clinically
introduced for treatment of benign prostate hyperplasia. The clinical
evaluation of finasteride
or other 5 alpha-reductase inhibitors in the field of dermatology has
been very limited; in
particular, those that selectively bind to type 1 isozyme (e.g.
MK-386, LY191704) may be
regarded as candidates for treatment of androgen-dependent skin
disorders such as
seborrhoea, acne, hirsutism and/or androgenetic alopecia. 
======================================================================
32.) Finasteride: a clinical review. 
======================================================================
Author 
Gormley GJ 
Address 
Merck Research Laboratories, Rahway, NJ 07065-0914, USA. 
Source 
Biomed Pharmacother, 49(7-8):319-24 1995 
Abstract 
Finasteride is the first of a new class of 5 alpha-reductase
inhibitors which allows selective
androgen deprivation affecting dihydrotestosterone (DHT) levels in
target organs such as the
prostate and scalp hair without effecting circulating levels of
testosterone thus preserving the
desired androgen mediated effects on muscle strength, bone density and
sexual function.
Finasteride has been demonstrated to produce significant effects in
men with an enlarged
prostate gland. The long-term data now emerging suggests that
progression of benign
prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) may be arrested providing additional long
term benefits.
Experimental uses in prostate cancer prevention and male pattern
baldness offer new and
exciting possibilities for this class of compounds. 

======================================================================
33.) 19-nor-10-azasteroids: a novel class of inhibitors for human steroid
5alpha-reductases 1 and 2. 
======================================================================
Author 
Guarna A; Belle C; Machetti F; Occhiato EG; Payne AH; Cassiani C;
Comerci A; Danza G;
De Bellis A; Dini S; Marrucci A; Serio M 
Address 
Dipartimento di Chimica Organica Ugo Schiff, Universit`a di Firenze,
Italy.
[email protected] 
Source 
J Med Chem, 40(7):1112-29 1997 Mar 28 
Abstract 
Steroid 5alpha-reductase is a system of two isozymes (5alphaR-1 and
5alphaR-2) which
catalyzes the NADPH-dependent reduction of testosterone to
dihydrotestosterone in many
androgen sensitive tissues and which is related to several human
endocrine diseases such as
benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), prostatic cancer, acne, alopecia,
pattern baldness in
men and hirsutism in women. The discovery of new potent and selective
5alphaR inhibitors is
thus of great interest for pharmaceutical treatment of these diseases.
The synthesis of a novel
class of inhibitors for human 5alphaR-1 and 5alphaR-2, having the
19-nor-10-azasteroid
skeleton, is described. The inhibitory potency of the
19-nor-10-azasteroids was determined
in homogenates of human hypertrophic prostates toward 5alphaR-2 and in
DU-145 human
prostatic adenocarcinoma cells toward 5alphaR-1, in comparison with
finasteride (IC50 =
3 nM for 5alphaR-2 and approximately 42 nM for 5alphaR-1), a drug
which is currently
used for BPH treatment. The inhibition potency was dependent on the
type of substituent at
position 17 and on the presence and position of the unsaturation in
the A and C rings.
delta9(11)-19-Nor-10-azaandrost-4-ene-3,17-dione (or
10-azaestra-4,9(11)-diene-3,17-dione) (4a) and
19-nor-10-azaandrost-4-ene-3,17-dione
(5) were weak inhibitors of 5alphaR-2 (IC50 = 4.6 and 4.4 microM,
respectively) but more
potent inhibitors of 5alphaR-1 (IC50 = 263 and 299 nM, respectively),
whereas
19-nor-10-aza-5alpha-androstane-3,17-dione (7) was inactive for both
the isoenzymes. The
best result was achieved with the 9:1 mixture of delta9(11)- and
delta8(9)-17beta-(N-tert-butylcarbamoyl)-19-nor-10-aza-4-
androsten-3-one (10a,b)
which was a good inhibitor of 5alphaR-1 and 5alphaR-2 (IC50 = 127 and
122 nM,
respectively), with a potency very close to that of finasteride. The
results of ab initio
calculations suggest that the inhibition potency of
19-nor-10-azasteroids could be directly
related to the nucleophilicity of the carbonyl group in the 3-position. 

======================================================================
34.) Genetic analysis of male pattern baldness and the 5alpha-reductase
genes. 
======================================================================
Author 
Ellis JA; Stebbing M; Harrap SB 
Address 
Department of Physiology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville,
Victoria, Australia. 
Source 
J Invest Dermatol, 110(6):849-53 1998 Jun 
Abstract 
Genetic predisposition and androgen dependence are important
characteristics of the
common patterned loss of scalp hair known as male pattern baldness.
The involvement of the
5alpha-reductase enzyme in male pattern baldness has been postulated
due to its role in the
metabolism of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone. There are two known
isozymes of
5alpha-reductase. Type I has been predominantly localized to the skin
and scalp. Type II,
also present on the scalp, is the target of finasteride, a promising
treatment for male pattern
baldness. We conducted genetic association studies of the
5alpha-reductase enzyme genes
(SRD5A1 on chromosome 5 and SRD5A2 on chromosome 2) using dimorphic
intragenic
restriction fragment length polymorphisms. From a population survey of
828 healthy families
comprising 3000 individuals, we identified 58 young bald men (aged
18-30 y) and 114 older
nonbald men (aged 50-70 y) for a case control comparison. No
significant differences were
found between cases and controls in allele, genotype, or haplotype
frequencies for restriction
fragment length polymorphisms of either gene. These findings suggest
that the genes encoding
the two 5alpha-reductase isoenzymes are not associated with male
pattern baldness. Finally,
no clear inheritance pattern of male pattern baldness was observed.
The relatively strong
concordance for baldness between fathers and sons in this study was
not consistent with a
simple Mendelian autosomal dominant inheritance. A polygenic etiology
should be
considered. 

======================================================================
35.) Effects of topically applied spironolactone on androgen stimulated
sebaceous glands in the hamster pinna. 
======================================================================
Author 
Seki T; Toyomoto T; Morohashi M 
Address 
Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, Toyama Medical and
Pharmaceutical
University, Japan. 
Source 
J Dermatol, 22(4):233-7 1995 Apr 
Abstract 
The effects of spironolactone (5% SYC-201G, a preparation developed
for clinical use in
acne vulgaris by Searle Yakuhin K.K.), which is known to have
antiandrogenic effects by
competitively inhibiting dihydrotestosterone at androgen receptor
sites, was topically applied
to the androgen stimulated sebaceous glands of adult female golden
hamsters. Androgen
stimulation, induced by intramuscular injection of testosterone
propionate (TP) every other
day over a two week period, resulted in a 2.5 to 2.7 time increase in
the size of the
sebaceous glands of the hamster pinna. Once-daily treatment with 5%
SYC-201G or
matching placebo was applied to androgen-stimulated hamsters on one
pinna only during the
same period as TP injection. Comparison between the treated and
untreated sides revealed a
significant suppression in the sebaceous gland size (p < 0.05) by 5%
SYC-201G; no such
effect was observed with placebo. The difference in the suppression
rate of the sebaceous
gland size between 5% SYC-201G (23%) and matching placebo (-4.7%) was
significant (p < 0.01). 

======================================================================
36.) Androgens affect the activity of human sebocytes in culture in a
manner dependent on the localization of the sebaceous glands and their
effect is antagonized by spironolactone. 
======================================================================
Author 
Zouboulis CC; Akamatsu H; Stephanek K; Orfanos CE 
Address 
Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center Steglitz, Free
University of Berlin,
FRG. 
Source 
Skin Pharmacol, 7(1-2):33-40 1994 
Abstract 
To investigate the varying response of the pilosebaceous unit to
androgens functional studies
were performed on the effects of testosterone and 5
alpha-dihydrotestosterone on cultured
human sebocytes derived from different skin regions. In addition, the
effect of
spironolactone on the proliferation of androgen-stimulated human
sebocytes derived from
facial skin was evaluated. Testosterone (10(-11) to 10(-5) M), 5
alpha-dihydrotestosterone
(10(-11) to 10(-5) M) and spironolactone (10(-12) to 10(-7) M) were
added for 10 days
as single substances or in combinations to human sebocytes in
secondary culture maintained
in a serum-free medium. Cell proliferation was assessed using a
fluorometric assay.
Intracellular lipids were extracted from sebocytes treated with
androgens (10(-7) M) for 10
days after confluency. Testosterone inhibited the proliferation of
sebocytes derived from the
legs with a 50%-inhibitory concentration at 10(-5) M and induced a 50%
decrease of
intracellular lipids. In contrast, 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone
stimulated the activity of leg
sebocytes with a 50% increase of proliferation at 10(-5) M, and a 175%
increase of
intracellular lipids. On the other hand, the proliferation of facial
sebocytes was significantly
stimulated by testosterone with a 50%-stimulatory concentration at
10(-6) to 10(-5) M and
mostly by 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone with a 50% enhancement at 10(-8)
to 10(-7) M.
Spironolactone inhibited the proliferation of facial sebocytes in a
dose-dependent manner
with a 25%-inhibitory concentration at 10(-9) M. Simultaneous
treatment of facial sebocytes
with spironolactone and testosterone or 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone
resulted in decreased
proliferation when compared to the growth obtained under androgens
alone.(ABSTRACT
TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) 
======================================================================
37.) Antiandrogen treatment with spironolactone and linestrenol decreases
bone mineral density in eumenorrhoeic women with androgen excess. 
======================================================================
Author 
Pre¨zelj J; Kocijan¨ci¨c A 
Address 
Medical Centre Ljubljana, Endocrinology, Ljubljana, Slovenia. 
Source 
Horm Metab Res, 26(1):46-8 1994 Jan 
Abstract 
Increased bone mineral density (BMD) has been reported in young women
with androgen
excess. To determine whether antiandrogen treatment in young women
with androgen
excess reduces BMD in these patients, the authors measured BMD before
and a year after
the beginning of antiandrogen therapy with spironolactone and
linestrenol in 17 consecutive
androgenized patients (median age 22 years). After a year's treatment
BMD declined in 15
out of 17 patients, the mean decrease--0.032 g/cm2 (95% CI of the
difference
0.016-0.048)--being highly significant (p < 0.001). Androstenedione
decrease was the only
hormonal variable significantly correlating with BMD decrease (r =
0.5; p = 0.037) according
to simple linear regression. A decrease of BMD might become a key
factor in deciding about
the duration of antiandrogen treatment with spironolactone in functional
hyperandrogenemia. 

======================================================================
38.) [Serum hormones before and during therapy with cyproterone acetate and
spironolactone in patients with androgenization] 
======================================================================
Author 
Grunwald K; Rabe T; Schlereth G; Runnebaum B 
Address 
Abt. f¨ur gyn¨akologische Endokrinologie und Fortpflanzungsmedizin,
Universit¨ats-Frauenklinik Heidelberg. 
Source 
Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd, 54(11):634-45 1994 Nov 
Abstract 
The effect of cyproterone acetate (CPA) and spironolactone (SPL) on
the serum
androgen concentrations of premenopausal women with symptoms of
hyperandrogenism
were investigated in a total of 39 women. The observation period was
12 months. CPA was
administered according to the Hammerstein regimen: cyproterone acetate
(CPA) [Androcur]
100 mg/die 5.-14. day of the cycle; ethinylestradiol (EE) [Progynon
C]: 40 mg/die 5.-25. day
of the cycle; Spironolactone (SPL) was given in a dosage of 100 mg/die
from day 1.-21. of
the cycle. During the therapy with CPA a significant decrease of total
testosterone (61%),
free testosterone (78%), LH (48%) and 17 alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone
(72%) was
observed; during the medication with spironolacton only a significant
decrease of 5
alpha-dihydrotestosterone (81%), which could not be seen during CPA
use, was observed.
Serum concentrations of total testosterone, free testosterone, LH and 17
alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone remained unchanged. DHA and DHAS did not
change during
neither medication. Since peripheral androgens were not suppressed by
SPL the positive
therapeutical effect of SPL can be explained by the antiandrogenic
effect at the level of the
receptor. A disadvantage of spironolacton is the lack of contraceptive
efficacy. In cases
where contraindication for oral contraceptives are present SPL can be
considered as a good
alternative to CPA. The suppressive effect of CPA/EE on total
testosterone, LH addition to
the antivulatory effect makes it the preferable medication for
hyperandrogenemic patients with
polycystic changes of the ovaries (PCOD). 

======================================================================
39.) The insulin resistance in women with hyperandrogenism is partially
reversed by antiandrogen treatment: evidence that androgens impair insulin
action in women. 
======================================================================
Author 
Moghetti P; Tosi F; Castello R; Magnani CM; Negri C; Brun E; Furlani
L; Caputo M;
Muggeo M 
Address 
Division of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, University of
Verona, Italy. 
Source 
J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 81(3):952-60 1996 Mar 
Abstract 
To assess whether androgen excess per se might impair insulin action,
insulin sensitivity was
measured by a two-step (20 and 80 mU/m2.min) hyperinsulinemic
euglycemic clamp
combined with indirect calorimetry and tracer glucose infusion in 43
women (13 obese and
30 nonobese) with normal glucose tolerance and clinical evidence of
increased androgen
action (hirsutism and/or polycystic ovary syndrome) as well as 12 age-
and body mass
index-matched healthy controls. Hyperandrogenic women were studied
basally and after 3-4
months of antiandrogen treatment with 3 different drugs:
spironolactone (n = 23), flutamide
(n = 10), or the GnRH agonist buserelin (n = 10). Six women given
spironolactone were
also reexamined after 1 yr of therapy. At baseline, insulin-mediated
glucose uptake was
lower in hyperandrogenic women than in controls (by ANOVA, F = 14.3; P
< 0.001).
Insulin resistance was observed in both ovarian and nonovarian
hyperandrogenism, as
distinguished by acute GnRH agonist testing. After antiandrogen
therapy, insulin action on
glucose metabolism significantly increased for both the patients as a
whole (F = 7.4; P <
0.01) and each treatment group separately. However, insulin action
remained lower than in
controls and showed no further improvement in patients reevaluated
after I yr of treatment.
Increases in both oxidative and nonoxidative glucose metabolism
accounted for the
improvement in substrate disposal induced by antiandrogen drugs. The
increase in the
effectiveness of insulin was greater in the lean subjects, whereas the
change was small and not
statistically significant in the obese women. Response to treatment
was more pronounced in
women with nonovarian hyperandrogenism, particularly at the low
insulin infusion rate.
Endogenous glucose production in hyperandrogenic patients was similar
to that in healthy
women and was unaffected by therapy. In conclusion, antiandrogen
treatment partially
reversed the peripheral insulin resistance associated with
hyperandrogenism regardless of
which antiandrogen was used. These data strongly suggest that in
women, androgen excess
per se contributes to impairment of insulin action. 
======================================================================
40.) Topical spironolactone reduces sebum secretion rates in young adults. 
======================================================================
Author 
Yamamoto A; Ito M 
Address 
Department of Dermatology, Niigata University School of Medicine, Japan. 
Source 
J Dermatol, 23(4):243-6 1996 Apr 
Abstract 
The effects of topically applied spironolactone on the sebum secretion
rates (SSR) of young
adults were investigated. SSR was expressed as the ratio of wax
esters/[cholesterol+cholesterol esters] (WE/[C+CE]) and the amount of
sebaceous lipids
(squalene, triacylglycerol and wax esters). Topical spironolactone 5%
gel applied to the
right cheeks of the subjects produced a significant reduction in the
SSR at 12 weeks (4
weeks after termination of application), but not at 8 weeks (the end
of treatment). Untreated
"control" areas (the left cheeks of the subjects) showed no
significant change during the study.
None of the subjects experienced skin rash or signs of local
irritation. This results suggests
that topical spironolactone may be effective in the treatment of acne
patients with high SSR.

======================================================================
41.) Other antiandrogens. 
======================================================================
Author 
Schmidt JB 
Address 
Department of Dermatology, University of Vienna Medical School, Austria. 
Source 
Dermatology, 196(1):153-7 1998 
Abstract 
Various substances of steroidal or nonsteroidal structure may serve as
an alternative for the
antiandrogenic treatment of acne. Compounds with antiandrogenic
properties like cimetidine
or ketoconazole are rarely administered for acne due to their weak
effects. In contrast,
spironolactone is an effective antiandrogen that shows good treatment
effects in hirsutism
and acne. Side effects occur frequently and are dose dependent.
Isotretinoin--the most
effective agent in acne therapy--has been under discussion for
additional antiandrogenic
properties for years. At present there is additional evidence for the
antiandrogenic effects of
isotretinoin. Regarding substances acting on both levels, androgen
receptor binding and 5
alpha-reductase inhibition, the question is raised whether the term
'antiandrogen' should be
amplified by including the 5 alpha-reductase inhibitors. This would
pay tribute to the
biological aspect of antiandrogenicity that takes into account not
only the mode of action but
also the effects of the substance. Under this aspect type 1 5
alpha-reductase inhibitors may
gain attention in the future. 

======================================================================
42.) Mechanism of action and pure antiandrogenic properties of flutamide. 
======================================================================
Author 
Labrie F 
Address 
Medical Research Council Group, Le Centre Hospitalier de l'Universite
Laval Research
Center, Laval University, Qu´ebec City, Canada. 
Source 
Cancer, 72(12 Suppl):3816-27 1993 Dec 15 
Abstract 
Although treatment of intact adult male rats with the pure
antiandrogen flutamide or a
luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonist alone leads to
partial inhibition of
ventral prostate weight, maximal inhibition is achieved by combination
of the two drugs.
Potentializing effects of the two compounds were observed even on
prostatic ornithine
decarboxylase activity. Because LHRH agonists are widely used to
achieve medical
castration in men treated for prostate cancer, it is of interest to
observe that in the dog,
known for being the best model for studies of the action of LHRH
agonists, flutamide does
not interfere with the potent desensitizing action of the LHRH agonist
on pituitary LH
secretion, thus supporting the combined use of flutamide with an LHRH
agonist for maximal
androgen blockade without loss of efficiency of the LHRH agonist.
Because prostate cancer
is known to show a high degree of heterogeneity of its sensitivity to
androgens, we analyzed
the effect of combined antiandrogen therapy on parameters more
sensitive to androgens
than ventral prostatic weight itself. In agreement with its pure
antiandrogenic characteristics,
flutamide alone has no stimulatory effect on the intraprostatic level
of mRNA encoding the C1
or C3 component of prostatic binding protein (PBP), whereas
cyproterone acetate (CPA),
megestrol acetate (MEG), and, especially, medroxyprogesterone acetate
(MPA) markedly
stimulate PBP-C1 and PBP-C3 mRNA levels, an effect reversed by
flutamide, thus further
supporting the intrinsic androgenic activity of all these steroidal
derivatives. Similar
androgenic effects of the steroidal derivatives were observed on
prostatic ornithine
decarboxylase activity. Androgen-sensitive Shionogi tumor cells were
then used to assess
the antiandrogenic/androgenic properties of flutamide and the
above-indicated steroidal
derivatives. MPA, MEG, CPA as well as spironolactone-stimulated cell
proliferation under
both in vivo and in vitro conditions, thus illustrating the intrinsic
androgenic activity of all
these compounds. Flutamide was inactive by itself and reversed the
stimulatory effect of all
other compounds, thus indicating its pure antiandrogenic activity.
Although castration reduces
intraprostatic dihydrotestosterone (DHT) to undetectable levels in the
rat and guinea pig, the
concentration remains at about 50% of the value found in intact men
after castration, thus
indicating an important contribution of the adrenals to DHT in the
human prostate, a finding
that requires the addition of an antiandrogen to block the action of
this important amount of
DHT remaining after castration. 

======================================================================
43.) Drospirenone: a novel progestogen with antimineralocorticoid and
antiandrogenic activity. 
======================================================================
Author 
Muhn P; Fuhrmann U; Fritzemeier KH; Krattenmacher R; Schillinger E 
Address 
Research Laboratories, Berlin, Germany. 
Source 
Ann N Y Acad Sci, 761():311-35 1995 Jun 12 
Abstract 
Drospirenone (ZK 30595; 6 beta, 7 beta, 15 beta, 16
beta-dimethylen-3-oxo-17
alpha-pregn-4-ene-21, 17-carbolactone) is a novel progestogen under
clinical development.
Drospirenone is characterized by an innovative pharmacodynamic profile
which is very
closely related to that of progesterone. Potential applications
include oral contraception,
hormone replacement therapy and treatment of hormonal disorders. The
pharmacological
properties of drospirenone were investigated in vitro by receptor
binding and transactivation
experiments and in vivo in appropriate animal models. In qualitative
agreement with
progesterone, the compound binds strongly to the progesterone and the
mineralocorticoid
receptor and with lower affinity to androgen and glucocorticoid
receptors. There is no
detectable binding to the estrogen receptor. Steroid hormone agonistic
and antagonistic
activities of progesterone and drospirenone were compared in
transactivation experiments.
Individual steroid hormone receptors were artificially expressed
together with a reporter gene
in appropriate cell lines. Both hormones were unable to induce any
androgen
receptor-mediated agonistic activity. Rather, both progesterone and
drospirenone distinctly
antagonized androgen-stimulated transcriptional activation. Likewise,
both compounds only
very weakly activated the mineralocorticoid receptor but showed potent
aldosterone
antagonistic activity. Drospirenone did not induce glucocorticoid
receptor-driven
transactivation. Progesterone was a weak agonist in this respect.
Drospirenone exerts potent
progestogenic and antigonadotropic activity which was studied in
various animal species. It
efficiently promotes the maintenance of pregnancy in ovariectomized
rats, inhibits ovulation in
rats and mice and stimulates endometrial transformation in the rabbit.
Furthermore,
drospirenone shows potent antigonadotropic, i.e.,
testosterone-lowering activity in male
cynomolgus monkeys. The progestogenic potency of drospirenone was
found to be in the
range of that of norethisterone acetate. The majority of clinically
used progestogens are
androgenic. Drospirenone, like progesterone, has no androgenic but
rather an antiandrogenic
effect. This property was demonstrated in castrated, testosterone
propionate substituted male
rats by a dose-dependent inhibition of accessory sex organ growth
(seminal vesicles,
prostate). In this model, the potency of drospirenone was about a
third that of cyproterone
acetate. Drospirenone, like progesterone, shows antimineralocorticoid
activity, which causes
moderately increased sodium and water excretion. This is an
outstanding characteristic which
has not been described for any other synthetic progestogen before.
Drospirenone is eight to
ten times more effective in this respect than spironolactone. The
natriuretic effect was
demonstrable for at least three weeks upon daily treatment of rats
with a dose of 10
mg/animal. Drospirenone is devoid of any estrogenic, glucocorticoid or
antiglucocorticoid
activity. In summary, drospirenone, like progesterone, combines potent
progestogenic with
antimineralocorticoid and antiandrogenic activity in a similar dose
range.
======================================================================
DATA-MEDICOS/DERMAGIC-EXPRESS No (27) 06/01/99 DR. JOSE LAPENTA R. 
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