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Follicle.com - Methods and compositions for inhibiting 5 alpha -reductase activity (16857 words) |
 | A prototype for 5 alpha -reductase inhibitors is 17 beta -N,N-diethylcarbamoyl-4-methyl-4-aza-5 alpha -androstan-3-one (4-MA), which behaves as an inhibitor of 5 alpha -reductase in vivo, decreasing the prostatic concentration of 5 alpha -DHT in intact male rats or in castrated male rats given testosterone propionate. |
 | The ability of gamma -linolenic acid to inhibit 5 alpha -reductase in solubilized microsomes indicates that the gamma -linolenic acid inhibition may not be rigidly dependent on the native source of endoplasmic reticulum membranes. |
 | 5 alpha -reductase inhibition using compositions of the present invention may also be utilized in such methods to provide a baseline control for determining the efficacy of a candidate substance, as well as to test such a candidate substance for synergistically enhancing the 5 alpha -reductase inhibitory activity of the compositions disclosed herein. |