Hormone menubar
Sex steroid hormones - “Your body is not your own!”
Sex steroid hormones- "Your body is not your own!"
ENDOCRINE hormones are chemical "messengers" used
for intercellular communication, released by glands directly into the
bloodstream. There are 3 types of endocrine hormones,
namely, amines, polypeptides, steroid
hormones
Hormones 101 -"Feel Good, Look Good"
STEROID hormones
(subset of endocrine hormones)
are
fat-soluble hormones produced from cholesterol. They include:
glucocorticoids, mineralocorticoids,
sex steroid hormones vitamin D sterols
Steroid Hormones
SEX STEROID HORMONES
(subset of steroid
hormones)
produce sex differences or support reproduction.
These are the:
- Androgens -
include:
DHEA, ANDROSTENEDIONE, TESTOSTERONE, DHT
Androgens
- Estrogens - include:
estradiol, ESTRONE,
ESTRIOL;
Estrogens
- progestagens.
Include:
PROGESTERONE, PREGNENOLONE
PROGESTERONE
- "Precursor to
Androgens, Estrogens
and
COrticoids"
PREGNENOLONE
Where
are the sex steroids produced?
All steroid hormones are produced/secreted by the
ovaries (ovarian follicle
/Corpus
luteum),
testes, prostate ,
and adrenal cortex. In addition, further conversions, break-downs
and secretions occur inthe
liver, extragonadal sites (E.g. adipose tissue, skin fibroblasts, bone, placenta)
Production requires certain enzymes
For more information, on these required enzymes, see:
Enzymes affecting Steroid
Production /Activity
Effects of sex steroid hormones
Steroid sex hormones are largely ignored until we
hit puberty. But then, as these
hormones "kick in", your body is no longer your own . . .
- Physical changes.
Pimples, pubic
hair,girls' breasts swell and hips
become rounder, boys' facial hair begins to grow and their voices become deeper
- Weight Maintenance becomes
an issue. Sex steroids are involved in
adipogenesis (fat formation)
- Emotions run high.
Angst, anger,
confusion, depression, strong sexual urges.
- PMS.
At certain times
of the month you have irrational feelings. E.g. feel weepy, have cravings, snap
at people.
- Pregnancy.
Cravings, breast
tenderness, weight gain, feeling tired, heightened sexual feelings, depression,
an acute sense of smell, nausea, gray hair, straight hair gone curly, curly hair
gone straight.
- Cardiovascular
disease ;
- Neurodegenerative
disease
- Cancer formation
- Bone formation
Sex steroid bioavailability
Most sex steroid hormones are bound to carrier
proteins to make them water-soluble in the blood. Only a small
fraction circulates "free"/ unbound (considered to be biologically active).
- Bioavailability of
ESTRADIOL
or TESTOSTERONE is determined by level of Sex
hormone binding globulin (SHBG);
- Bioavailability of
PROGESTERONE (also
CORTISOL and
corticosteroidS)
is determined by
level of Corticosteroid-binding protein (CBG)
Sex hormone-binding carriers
Drinking alcohol reduces availability of some sex
steroid hormones:
Alcohol consumption affects
serum levels of sex steroid hormones
