Changes in aortic endothelium ultrastructure in male rats following castration, replacement with testosterone and administration of 50α-reductase inhibitor

Aim： To investigate the relationship between low androgen level and ultrastructure of vascular endothelium. Methods： Forty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups： group A, normal rats with sham castration; group B, castrated rats; group C, castrated rats given testosterone （T） undecanoate; and group D, intact rats treated with 5α-reductase inhibitor. After 10 weeks of treatment or castration, rats in different groups were killed and serum T, free T （FT） and dihydrotestosterone （DHT） were measured. The aortic endothelia were scanned under electron microcopy and the Vascular Endothelium Structure Score （VESS） was computed. Results： Serum T and FT concentrations of rats in group B were significantly lower than those of the other three groups （P 〈 0.01）; DHT concentrations of group D rats were significantly decreased （P 〈 0.01 ） when compared with those of groups A and C. Rats in groups B and D rats （with low androgen levels） had obvious damage to their endothelial surfaces, which appeared crimpled, rough, adhesive and ruptured, and had high destruction of VESS. Conclusion： These results suggest that low concentrations of T and DHT are associated with ultrastructural damage of the aortic endothelia in male rats.

A systematic review of the effects and mechanisms of preoperative 5α-reductase inhibitors on intraoperative haemorrhage during surgery for benign prostatic hyperplasia

5α-reductase inhibitors （5α-RIs）, including finasteride and dutasteride, are commonly used medical therapies for benign prostatic hyperplasia （BPH）. Many studies reported that preoperative 5α-RI had impact on intraoperative haemorrhage during surgery for BPH, but it was still in controversial. So, we conducted a systematic review of the effects and mechanisms of 5α-RIs on intraoperative bleeding for BPH. MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Controlled Trail Register of Controlled Trials and the reference lists of retrieved studies were searched in the analysis. Sixteen publications involving 15 different randomized controlled trials （RCTs） and a total of 1156 patients were used in the analysis, including 10 RCTs for finasteride and five RCTs for dutasteride. We found that preoperative finasteride treatment decreases microvessel density （MVD） in resected prostate specimens. Total blood loss, blood loss per gram of resected prostate tissue and decreases in haemoglobin were all greatly reduced in the finasteride group as compared to controls. Dutasteride appeared to have no effect on bleeding. This meta-analysis shows that preoperative finasteride treatment could decrease intraoperative haemorrhage during surgery for BPH. Preoperative dutasteride had no effect on intraoperative haemorrhage, but further high-qualitv prospective studies are still needed to confirm this observation.

High performance thin layer chromatography as an effective tool for rapid screening of 5α-reductase inhibitors

Benign prostatic hyperplasia(BPH)is a common disease in men,and is known to be related to 5α-reductase,which can affect steroid metabolism.Under the promotion of 5α-reductase,testosterone can be converted into dihydrotestosterone(DHT),and excessive DHT will cause related diseases.Since BPH seriously affects the quality of life of patients,it is essential to discover effective 5α-reductase inhibitors.In this study,the simple analytical method of high performance thin layer chromatography(HPTLC)was used to screen active compounds,and seven compounds with strong activity were screened out.This research will provide a reference for studying the material basis of drugs for the treatment of BPH.

Sexual,physical and overall adverse effects in patients treated with 5a-reductase inhibitors:a systematic review and meta-analysis

Postfinasteride syndrome(PFS)is a term coined to characterize a constellation of reported undesirable sexual,physical,and neuropsychiatric side effects.In the present study,we conducted the meta-analysis to demonstrate whether the use of 5α-reductase inhibitors(5ARIs)increases the risk of PFS-like adverse effects.A search of studies published until May 10,2020,was performed using PubMed,EMBASE,and the Cochrane Library.We included randomized controlled trials with at least one comparison between male patients receiving 5ARIs versus placebo for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia(BPH)or androgenetic alopecia(AGA),and identified 34 studies from 28 articles that met our eligibility criteria.In the random-effects model,the overall use of 5ARIs exhibited a 1.87-fold risk of PFS-like adverse effects during the trial(95%confidence interval[CI]:1.64-2.14).Regarding specific types of adverse effects,the use of 5ARIs had a 1.89-fold risk of sexual adverse effects(95%CI:1.74-2.05)and was associated with an increased risk of physical adverse effects(relative risk[RR]:1.31,95%CI:0.80-2.15),albeit without statistical significance.This meta-analysis helped to better define the adverse effects caused by 5ARIs.We concluded that the overall use of 5ARIs significantly increased the risk of PFS-like adverse effects in men with AGA or BPH during treatment.Enhanced awareness of and education on the PFS-like adverse effects are necessary for clinicians.

非甾体抗炎药的研究进展

传统非甾体抗炎药对环氧化酶的选择性较差,副作用明显,临床应用受限。近年来,一些疗效好、副作用低的新型非甾体抗炎药相继问世,应用于临床。本文主要综述了选择性COX-2抑制剂、一氧化氮释放型非甾体抗炎药以及选择性5-LOX/COX-2双重抑制剂三类非甾体抗炎药中的代表药物的研究进展。