Steroid hormone

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A steroid hormone is a steroid that acts as a hormone. Steroid hormones can be grouped into five
groups by thereceptors to which they
bind: glucocorticoids, mineralocorticoids, androgens, estrogens, and progestogens. Vitamin
Dderivatives are a sixth closely related hormone system with homologous receptors. They have
some of the characteristics of true steroids as receptor ligands.
Steroid hormones help control metabolism, inflammation, immune functions, salt and water balance,
development of sexual characteristics, and the ability to withstand illness and injury. The
term steroid describes both hormones produced by the body and artificially produced medications
that duplicate the action for the naturally occurring steroids.

[1][2][3]

Contents
[hide]

1Synthesis
o

1.1Synthetic steroids and sterols

2Effects

3See also

4References

5Further reading

6External links
Synthesis[edit]
Further information: Steroidogenesis

Steroidogenesis with enzymes and intermediates

The natural steroid hormones are generally synthesized from cholesterol in the gonads and adrenal
glands. These forms of hormones are lipids. They can pass through the cell membrane as they are
[4]

fat-soluble, and then bind to steroid hormone receptors (which may be nuclear or cytosolic
depending on the steroid hormone) to bring about changes within the cell. Steroid hormones are
generally carried in the blood, bound to specific carrier proteins such as sex hormone-binding
globulin or corticosteroid-binding globulin. Further conversions and catabolism occurs in the liver, in
other "peripheral" tissues, and in the target tissues.

Synthetic steroids and sterols[edit]

A variety of synthetic steroids and sterols have also been contrived. Most are steroids, but some
non-steroidal molecules can interact with the steroid receptors because of a similarity of shape.
Some synthetic steroids are weaker or stronger than the natural steroids whose receptors they
activate.

[5]

Some examples of synthetic steroid hormones:

Glucocorticoids: alclometasone, prednisone, dexamethasone, triamcinolone, cortisone

Mineralocorticoid: fludrocortisone

Vitamin D: dihydrotachysterol

Androgens: apoptone, oxandrolone, oxabolone, testosterone, nandrolone (also known

as anabolic steroids)
Oestrogens: diethylstilbestrol (DES) and beta estradiol

Progestins: danazol, norethindrone, medroxyprogesterone acetate, 17-Hydroxyprogesterone

caproate.

Some steroid antagonists:

Androgen: cyproterone acetate

Progestins: mifepristone, gestrinone

Effects[edit]
Steroids exert a wide variety of effects, mediated by slow genomic as well as by rapid nongenomic
mechanisms. They bind tonuclear receptors in the cell nucleus for genomic actions. Membraneassociated steroid receptors activate intracellularsignaling cascades involved in nongenomic actions.
Because steroids and sterols are lipid-soluble, they can diffuse fairly freely from the blood through
the cell membrane and into the cytoplasm of target cells. This is in contrast to the actions of nonsteroid hormones, which are water-soluble typically peptide hormones, acting through membrane
bound receptors and intracellular second messenger systems to exert their effects. In the cytoplasm,
the steroid may or may not undergo an enzyme-mediated alteration such as reduction,
hydroxylation, or aromatization. In the cytoplasm, the steroid binds to the specific receptor, a large
metalloprotein. Upon steroid binding, many kinds of steroid receptor dimerize: Two receptor subunits
join together to form one functional DNA-binding unit that can enter the cell nucleus. In some of the
hormone systems known, the receptor is associated with a heat shock protein, which is released on
the binding of the ligand, the hormone. Once in the nucleus, the steroid-receptor ligand complex
[2][6][7][8]

binds to specific DNA sequences and induces transcription of its target genes.

See also[edit]

Membrane steroid receptor

References[edit]

1.

Jump up^ Funder JW, Krozowski Z, Myles K,

Sato A, Sheppard KE, Young M (1997).
"Mineralocorticoid receptors, salt, and
hypertension". Recent Prog Horm Res 52: 247
260.PMID 9238855.

2.

^ Jump up to:a b Gupta BBP, Lalchhandama K

(2002). "Molecular mechanisms of glucocorticoid
action" (PDF). Current Science 83 (9): 11031111.

3.

Jump up^ Frye CA (2009). "Steroids,

reproductive endocrine function, and affect. A
review". Minerva Ginecol 61 (6): 541
562. PMID 19942840.

4.

Jump up^ Linda J. Heffner; Danny J. Schust

(2010). The Reproductive System at a Glance.
John Wiley and Sons. pp. 16. ISBN 978-1-40519452-5. Retrieved 28 November2010.

5.

Jump up^ Nahar L, Sarker SD, Turner AB

(2007). "A review on synthetic and natural steroid
dimers: 1997-2006". Curr Med Chem 14 (12):
13491370.doi:10.2174/092986707780597880. P
MID 17504217.

6.

Jump up^ Moore FL, Evans SJ (1995).

"Steroid hormones use non-genomic mechanisms
to control brain functions and behaviors: a review
of evidence". Brain Behav Evol 51 (4): 41
50. PMID 10516403.

7.

Jump up^ Marcinkowska E, Wiedocha A

(2002). "Steroid signal transduction activated at
the cell membrane: from plants to animals". Acta
Biochim Pol 43 (9): 735745.PMID 12422243.

8.

Jump up^ Rousseau GG (2013). "Fifty years

ago: The quest for steroid hormone
receptors". Mol Cell Endocrinol 375 (12): 10

13. doi:10.1016/j.mce.2013.05.005.PMID 2368488

5.