Edwin Lephart discusses Echo, a compound that binds to DHT and may reduce androgen activity in the prostate. The S-enantiomer form has affinity for estrogen receptor β, potentially lowering androgen receptor expression and slowing prostate cell growth related to benign prostatic hyperplasia.
Yeah, Echo having these really unique biochemical properties, being a powerful antioxidant. But this unique property to bind 5 Alpha DHT is really important with aging, especially in men, for prostate health, because it's thought that even though the principal circulating androgen, testosterone decreases with age, say around 40 or 50, and it starts to decline, if you look in the enzymatic makeup in the prostate, 5 alpha reductase enzymes actually increase their expression. And so even though the substrate is going down, the enzyme expression is increasing. And so you're making more 5 Alpha DHT. And this is the molecule that's causing proliferation, especially of the epithelial cells in the prostate, and causing the condition benign prostatic hyperplasia. So if we could bind that, we could decrease androgen hormone action at the androgen receptor. But what is really fascinating about equal, the S form has a relatively high affinity for estrogen receptor beta. And beta is in the prostate along with breast tissue for women, for breast cancer. If you bind beta, then it indirectly will decrease the expression of antigen receptors. So in two different ways, we're decreasing androgen hormone action. We're in a modest weight binding 5 alpha DHT, and then we are decreasing the expression of androgen receptor by activating estrogen receptor beta in the human prostate.
