LHRH analogue (LHRHA) made of luteinizing hormone releasing hormone can stimulate the pituitary gland to release luteinizing hormone (LH) at the initial stage of administration, so that the LHRH receptor in the pituitary gland is down-regulated and decreased, but it inhibits the release of LH, reduces the production of testosterone, and finally reduces testosterone to castration level.
Therefore, it has a similar effect to surgical castration, which is called drug castration and is also the standard endocrine therapy for prostate cancer. Chemical castration is also used in some countries to combat sex offenders, that is, drugs or hormones that control endocrine are used to suppress their sexual impulses without losing their sexual ability.
Chemical castration is to use hormones to achieve the effect of physical castration.
Generally speaking, the purpose of castration is to reduce or even erase the sexual impulse of sex offenders, resulting in sexual apathy and inhibiting the recurrence of sexual crimes. The principle of male sexual impulse is very complicated, but androgen in the body plays a key role.
There are mainly two kinds of male hormones related to sexual impulse-testosterone and testosterone, 90-95% of which are secreted by testis and the rest are produced by adrenal gland. The production and release of these two androgens in the body need to obey the command of another hormone. This hormone is called luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH). Because the name is too long, we might as well call it L hormone releasing hormone for short.
Therefore, if human intervention prevents the secretion of L- hormone releasing hormone, it can reduce the androgen in the body and achieve the purpose of castration. As can be seen from the name, one of the functions of L hormone releasing hormone is to release L hormone. Therefore, if L hormone is artificially supplemented, L hormone releasing hormone is no longer needed.
This is the principle of "chemical experiment". Chemical castration is not a "criminal tool" of castration, but a process of reducing androgen level by oral administration, injection or subcutaneous implantation, and the ultimate goal is the same as physical castration.