ArticleJournal of endocrinological investigation2021
Alterations of gut microbiota composition in post-finasteride patients: a pilot study.
Article in Journal of endocrinological investigation, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 22 papers.
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Who cites it
22 citing papers in PubMed, 34 citations in OpenAlex.
- Steroid 5α-reductases in the brain: From neurosteroidogenesis to therapeutic implications.Frontiers in neuroendocrinology · 2026Review
- Exploration of the Possible Relationships Between Gut and Hypothalamic Inflammation and Allopregnanolone: Preclinical Findings in a Post-Finasteride Rat Model.Biomolecules · 2025Article
- The gut-microbiota-brain axis: Focus on gut steroids.Journal of neuroendocrinology · 2025Review
- Post-finasteride syndrome - a true clinical entity?International journal of impotence research · 2025Review
- From bugs to brain: unravelling the GABA signalling networks in the brain-gut-microbiome axis.Brain : a journal of neurology · 2025Review
- The influence of seminal microbiota on human testicular steroidogenesis: a prospective study.Journal of assisted reproduction and genetics · 2025Article
- Article
- Analysis of the finasteride treatment and its withdrawal in the rat hypothalamus and hippocampus at whole-transcriptome level.Journal of endocrinological investigation · 2024Article
- A clinical guide to rare male sexual disorders.Nature reviews. Urology · 2024Review
- Roles of gut microbiota in androgenetic alopecia: insights from Mendelian randomization analysis.Frontiers in microbiology · 2024Article
- Article
- The Gut and Skin Microbiome in Alopecia: Associations and Interventions.The Journal of clinical and aesthetic dermatology · 2023Review
- Gut microbiota and pediatric patients with spina bifida and neurogenic bowel dysfunction.Child's nervous system : ChNS : official journal of the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery · 2023Article
- Gut Inflammation Induced by Finasteride Withdrawal: Therapeutic Effect of Allopregnanolone in Adult Male Rats.Biomolecules · 2022Article
- Human genital tracts microbiota: dysbiosis crucial for infertility.Journal of endocrinological investigation · 2022Review
- Gut Steroids and Microbiota: Effect of Gonadectomy and Sex.Biomolecules · 2022Article
- Finasteride Alleviates High Fat Associated Protein-Overload Nephropathy by Inhibiting Trimethylamine N-Oxide Synthesis and Regulating Gut Microbiota.Frontiers in physiology · 2022Article
- Gut feelings: the microbiota-gut-brain axis on steroids.American journal of physiology. Gastrointestinal and liver physiology · 2022Review
- Diagnostic criteria for enduring sexual dysfunction after treatment with antidepressants, finasteride and isotretinoin.The International journal of risk & safety in medicine · 2022Article
- Exploring the Impact of the Microbiome on Neuroactive Steroid Levels in Germ-Free Animals.International journal of molecular sciences · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
purposePost-finasteride syndrome (PFS) has been reported in a subset of patients treated with finasteride (an inhibitor of the enzyme 5alpha-reductase) for androgenetic alopecia. These patients showed, despite the suspension of the treatment, a variety of persistent symptoms, like sexual dysfunction and cognitive and psychological disorders, including depression. A growing body of literature highlights the relevance of the gut microbiota-brain axis in human health and disease. For instance, alterations in gut microbiota composition have been reported in patients with major depressive disorder. Therefore, we have here analyzed the gut microbiota composition in PFS patients in comparison with a healthy cohort.
methodsFecal microbiota of 23 PFS patients was analyzed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and compared with that reported in ten healthy male subjects.
resultsSexual dysfunction, psychological and cognitive complaints, muscular problems, and physical alterations symptoms were reported in more than half of the PFS patients at the moment of sample collection. The quality sequence check revealed a low library depth for two fecal samples. Therefore, the gut microbiota analyses were conducted on 21 patients. The α-diversity was significantly lower in PFS group, showing a reduction of richness and diversity of gut microbiota structure. Moreover, when visualizing β-diversity, a clustering effect was found in the gut microbiota of a subset of PFS subjects, which was also characterized by a reduction in Faecalibacterium spp. and Ruminococcaceae UCG-005, while Alloprevotella and Odoribacter spp were increased compared to healthy control.
conclusionGut microbiota population is altered in PFS patients, suggesting that it might represent a diagnostic marker and a possible therapeutic target for this syndrome.
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