In vitro study of rat prostate 5α-reductase activity and its inhibition

A simple and rapid method of measuring 5α-reductase (5α-R) activity and of determining the kinetic parameters (KM and Vmax) of the enzyme is described. The 5α-R activity in the homogenate of the prostate of Wistar rats aged 8–12 weeks was established, and the effects of natural and synthetic steroids and of non-steroidal antiandrogens (IC50) upon the 5α-R activity were studied. Of the natural steroids, 17-0H-progesterone was found to have the highest inhibitory effect (IC50=1.35 μM), followed in decreasing order by progesterone (IC50=5.0 μM) and 4-androstene-3,17-dione (IC50=21.6 μM). Oestradiol-17β had practically no inhibitory effect. Of the synthetic steroids, 4-MA had the highest inhibitory effect (IC50=0.068 μM), followed by nortestosterone (IC50=7.4 μM) and RU-486 (Mifepristone) (IC50=115 μM). Even at 1000 μM, cyproterone acetate exerted no inhibitory effect. Of the nonsteroidal compounds, ketoconazole proved a weak inhibitor (IC50=115 μM), while flutamide was practically ineffective.