Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a pathology that affects 50% of men over 50 years of age and 90% of men develop BPH in their eighth decade of life. In 2018, more than 1 billion men will be affected by this disease worldwide. However, the progression of BPH is highly complex and has been debated and studied for approximately four decades. Recent studies indicate that BPH can originate from the alteration of different hormone synthesis pathways, and that it is also linked to the function of hormone receptors. There is a close relationship between the progression of BPH and sexual hormones, such as progesterone, testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, and estrogen. The focus of this study was to characterize the interactions of these hormones and investigate the direct or indirect role of each sex hormone receptor in the progression of BPH. Although several studies have described the effects of these hormones on BPH, no conclusions have been drawn regarding their role in disease progression. Here, we present a literature review on the sexual receptors possibly involved in the progression of BPH.

Erectile dysfunction is a common side effect of finasteride and dutasteride treatments. The objective of this study was to investigate the structural changes in the penis using a benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) rodent model treated with dutasteride or finasteride. Sixty male rats were divided into the following groups: C, untreated control rats; C + D, control rats receiving dutasteride; C + F, control rats receiving finasteride; H, untreated spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs); H + D, SHRs treated with dutasteride; and H + F, SHRs treated with finasteride. Treatments were performed for 40 days, and penises were collected immediately thereafter. The organs were analyzed using histomorphometric methods to determine the cross-sectional penile area, as well as the surface density (Sv) of smooth muscle fibers, connective tissue, elastic system fibers, and sinusoidal spaces of the corpus cavernosum. The results were compared using a one-way ANOVA with Bonferroni's posttest. Groups C + D and C + F had a significantly smaller penile cross-sectional area, but more elastic system fiber Sv compared to Group C. Group C + D showed less smooth muscle Sv, and Group H showed more connective tissue but a smaller sinusoidal space Sv in the corpus cavernosum compared to Group C. Groups H + D and H + F had less smooth muscle Sv than Group H. Group H + D also had more connective tissue and elastic system fiber Sv than Group H. Both dutasteride and finasteride promoted penile modifications in the control rat penis, although this affect was greater in Group H animals. In this rodent model, dutasteride was the drug that most affected the corpus cavernosum.

No abstract

Artigo de RevisãoEste artigo está publicado em acesso aberto (Open Access) sob a licença Creative Commons, que permite uso, distribuição e reprodução em qualquer meio, sem restrições, desde que o trabalho seja corretamente citado. A fragilidade do sistema de saúde brasileiro e a vulnerabilidade social diante da COVID-19The fragility of the Brazilian health system and social vulnerability in front of COVID-19 La debilidad del sistema de salud brasileño y la vulnerabilidad social ante la COVID-19

Purpose: To investigate whether renal modifications occur following treatment with dutasteride or finasteride. Methods: Twenty-four male rats were divided into three groups: control (that received distilled water), dutasteride (0.5 mg/kg/day), and finasteride (5 mg/kg/day) groups. All administrations were given by gavage for 40 consecutive days. After inducing euthanasia, blood was collected for urea and creatinine analyses, and both the kidneys were collected for stereological analyses of kidney morphology. Results: Serum urea and creatinine levels were increased in both the finasteride and the dutasteride groups compared with those in the control group. In addition, kidney weight, kidney volume, cortical volume, glomerular volumetric density, and mean glomerular volume were reduced in both treatment groups. Finally, the number of glomeruli per kidney was reduced by 26.8% in the finasteride group and by 51.6% in the dutasteride group compared with that in the control group. Conclusions:The 5-ARIs finasteride and dutasteride promoted morphological and functional damages in rat kidneys. In addition, rats in the dutasteride group showed more severe renal modifications than those in the finasteride group.