To end the generic dutasteride debate...

[CCS]

unless it is broken down by something, levels would sore, enless it is made very slowly. Bile and liver. Ok, I got it: if DHT is not broken down fast, then how do levels drop so fast when we take finasteride? So something does decrease it fast. I think dutasteride reduces serum levels by 90% in two weeks. That is fast. Since finasteride is out of the system in days, how long does it take the DHT levels to reach normal? I heard it is at least a week, but I don't know how long.

Whatever the answer, we know it is gotten rid of fast. For equilibrium to exist, it must be produced fast too, unless there is some other mechanism I don't care to ponder right now.

What does sulfanated mean? Can we control any of the removal factors? If dutasteride can lower it so fast, do we need to control these factors?

Hey Bryan, I heard that balding follicles typically have twice as many receptors as non-balding ones, and balding scalp has twice as much DHT as non-balding scalp. Is this true?

 

[Bryan]

[quote="Old Baldy":bde54]
2 - As we age our DHT levels allegedly rise because enzymes that normally breakdown DHT diminish.

To the best of my knowledge, there is no enzyme that breaks down DHT but rather it is "sulfated" via liver phase 2 detoxification. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, please.[/quote:bde54]

You're wrong!

Androgens in general are metabolized in the liver and excreted into the urine as 17-ketosteroids, and that includes DHT. If I remember correctly, DHT is converted into androstanediol, and that's further metabolized into androstanediol glucuronide, and dumped into the urine.

Bryan

 

[Bryan]

unless it is broken down by something, levels would sore, enless it is made very slowly. Bile and liver. Ok, I got it: if DHT is not broken down fast, then how do levels drop so fast when we take finasteride?

DHT _is_ eliminated fast, as I've mentioned before. The Gisleskog study (the one you haven't seen yet) states that the elimination half-life of DHT in the bloodstream is only about 2 hours.

So something does decrease it fast. I think dutasteride reduces serum levels by 90% in two weeks. That is fast.

Finasteride sharply reduces DHT levels within HOURS, not days. I think it's maxed-out by about 24 hours or so (or should I say minimized-out?)...

Since finasteride is out of the system in days, how long does it take the DHT levels to reach normal? I heard it is at least a week, but I don't know how long.

Surely you've seen the following graph, which is the most reproduced one I've ever posted??

http://www.geocities.com/bryan50001/graph8.htm

That shows the 7-day DHT suppression after various SINGLE doses of finasteride.

Whatever the answer, we know it is gotten rid of fast. For equilibrium to exist, it must be produced fast too, unless there is some other mechanism I don't care to ponder right now.

Well, "equilibrium" is reached at a fairly low level of DHT. Levels of DHT in the bloodstream are only about 1/10 (or less) that of testosterone.

Hey Bryan, I heard that balding follicles typically have twice as many receptors as non-balding ones, and balding scalp has twice as much DHT as non-balding scalp. Is this true?

Ummm...there's been a study or two which looked at that, most notably one by Sawaya; I'd have to dig that one up again to check the actual numbers she got, but it sounds about right...

Bryan

 

[the_swami]

You're wrong!

Androgens in general are metabolized in the liver and excreted into the urine as 17-ketosteroids, and that includes DHT. If I remember correctly, DHT is converted into androstanediol, and that's further metabolized into androstanediol glucuronide, and dumped into the urine.

Bryan

Thank Bryan, I think I need to do some more reading up on this. Endocrinology is so convoluted it's sick! :shock: I was at first confused by this, androstanediol is a metabolite only but at first I thought you meant androstenedione. Actually, I'm still confused. I guess I have some reading to do. Interesting stuff though, and could theoretically prove useful if impaired steroid metabolism / catabolism is somehow involved in male pattern baldness.

 

[CCS]

Thanks for the link, Bryan. I uploaded the graph onto myspace. I'll google Sawaya and put a link in my blog "links to studies relevant to hair loss". That is not my myspace profile. It is just a shrine to hair loss treatments.