5-alpha reductase

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(Redirected from 5-alpha-reductase)
Jump to: navigation, search
steroid-5-alpha-reductase, alpha polypeptide 1
Identifiers
Symbol SRD5A1
Entrez 6715
HUGO 11284
OMIM 184753
RefSeq NM_001047
UniProt P18405
Other data
EC number 1.3.99.5
Locus Chr. 5 p15
steroid-5-alpha-reductase, alpha polypeptide 2
Identifiers
Symbol SRD5A2
Entrez 6716
HUGO 11285
OMIM 607306
RefSeq NM_000348
UniProt P31213
Other data
EC number 1.3.99.5
Locus Chr. 2 p23

5-alpha reductase is an enzyme that converts testosterone, the male sex hormone, into the more potent dihydrotestosterone:

Note the major difference -- the Δ4,5 double-bond on the A (leftmost) ring. (The other differences between the diagrams are unrelated to chemical structure.)

There are two isoenzymes, steroid 5-alpha reductase 1 and 2 (SRD5A1 and SRD5A2). The second isoenzyme is deficient in 5-alpha-reductase deficiency which leads to a form of intersexualism.

The enzyme is produced only in specific tissues of the male human body, namely the skin, seminal vesicles, prostate and epididymis.

Inhibition of 5-alpha reductase results in decreased production of DHT, increased levels of testosterone and possibly increased levels of estradiol. Gynecomastia is a possible side effect of 5-alpha reductase inhibition.

5-alpha-reductase inhibitor drugs are used in benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostate cancer and baldness. Finasteride inhibits the function of only one of the isoenzymes (type 2), while dutasteride inhibits both forms.

Advanced Search
Included Web Search Engines


Safe Search

close

Top Matching Results

Occasionally Search.com will highlight specialized results that are based on the context of your query. Examples of specialized results include specific links to news, images, or video.

Top Matching Results may highlight information from other Search.com pages, content from the CNET Network of sites, or third party content. The listings are based purely on relevance. Search.com does not receive payment for listings in this section but our partners that provide this data may get paid for listing these products.

Sponsored Links

This section contains paid listings which have been purchased by companies that want to have their sites appear for specific search terms and related content. These listings are administered, sorted and maintained by a third party and are not endorsed by Search.com.

Search Results

Search.com sends your search query to several search engines at one time and integrates the results into one list which has been sorted by relevance using Search.com's proprietary algorithm. You can customize the list of search engines included in your metasearch from the preferences.

The search engines that are used in your metasearch may allow companies to pay to have their Web sites included within the results. To view the Paid Inclusion policy for a specific search engine, please visit their Web site. Search.com does not accept payment or share revenue with any search engine partner for listings in this section.