What is "antiandrogen"

n. (context steroid pharmacology English) Any substance that inhibits the release or the biological effects of an androgen.

Antiandrogens, or androgen blockers, first discovered in the 1960s, prevent androgens from expressing their biological effects on responsive tissues. Antiandrogens alter the androgen pathway by blocking the appropriate receptors or affecting androgen production.

Antiandrogens can be prescribed to treat an assortment of androgen-dependent conditions. In men, antiandrogens are most frequently used to treat prostate cancer. In women, antiandrogens are used to decrease levels of male hormones causing symptoms of hypoandrogenism.

Antiandrogens present in the environment have become a topic of concern. Many industrial chemicals, including phthalates and pesticides exhibit antiandrogenic effects in animal experiments. Certain plant species have also been found to produce antiandrogens. In animal studies, environmental antiandrogens can harm reproductive organ development in fetuses exposed in utero as well as their offspring.