Abstract
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Finasteride has been used to treat male pattern baldness and benign prostate hyperplasia, and could potentially treat female pattern baldness and polycystic ovary syndrome. However, the drug has the unintentional side effects of erectile dysfunction and infertility. The impact on reproduction in female patients who are taking or have taken finasteride is unknown. Using Drosophila melanogaster as a model, this study was designed to investigate the impact of finasteride on female fly reproduction and their offspring. The female flies in this study will be fed dosage equivalents of 0.5 mg, 1 mg, and 5 mg of finasteride, along with a control group of females who consume no finasteride. The flies will be allowed to mate after consuming their respective dose of the drug, and the viable offspring will be counted over the next three days. If there are viable male offspring, they will be allowed to mate with female flies as well to determine if they are impacted by the drug. This study predicts that finasteride, especially at higher doses, will impact the reproductive ability of females and their male offspring. These results will further the database that could lead to determining if finasteride could be used to treat the previously stated conditions in human females. Furthermore, the effects of the drugs on the organisms' behavior will also be tested. After ingesting the drug, we will use a video recording microscope and a grid petri dish to observe the behavior of the female fruit flies and their offspring.
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