STEROIDS - FROM PHYSIOLOGY TO CLINICAL MEDICINE Edited by Sergej M. Ostojic Steroids - From Physiology to Clinical Medicine http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/46119 Edited by Sergej M. Ostojic Contributors Dai Mitsushima, Hajime Ueshiba, Rosário Monteiro, Cidália Pereira, Maria João Martins, Paul Dawson, Zulma Tatiana Ruiz-Cortés, Anna Kokavec, Seung-Yup Ku, Sanghoon Lee, Marko D Stojanovic, Sergej Ostojic, Emad Al-Dujaili Published by InTech Janeza Trdine 9, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia Copyright © 2012 InTech All chapters are Open Access distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license, which allows users to download, copy and build upon published articles even for commercial purposes, as long as the author and publisher are properly credited, which ensures maximum dissemination and a wider impact of our publications. 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Publishing Process Manager Ana Pantar Technical Editor InTech DTP team Cover InTech Design team First published November, 2012 Printed in Croatia A free online edition of this book is available at www.intechopen.com Additional hard copies can be obtained from orders@intechopen.com Steroids - From Physiology to Clinical Medicine, Edited by Sergej M. Ostojic p. cm. ISBN 978-953-51-0857-3 free online editions of InTech Books and Journals can be found at www.intechopen.com Contents Preface VII Section 1 Physiology and Pathophysiology of Steroids 1 Chapter 1 Gonadal Sex Steroids: Production, Action and Interactions in Mammals 3 Zulma Tatiana Ruiz-Cortés Chapter 2 The Biological Roles of Steroid Sulfonation 45 Paul Anthony Dawson Chapter 3 Hippocampal Function and Gonadal Steroids 65 Dai Mitsushima Chapter 4 11β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases in the Regulation of Tissue Glucocorticoid Availability 83 Cidália Pereira, Rosário Monteiro, Miguel Constância and Maria João Martins Section 2 Steroids: Clinical Application 107 Chapter 5 Sex Steroid Production from Cryopreserved and Reimplanted Ovarian Tissue 109 Sanghoon Lee and Seung-Yup Ku Chapter 6 Female Salivary Testosterone: Measurement, Challenges and Applications 129 E.A.S. Al-DujailI and M.A. Sharp Chapter 7 Limits of Anabolic Steroids Application in Sport and Exercise 169 Marko D. Stojanovic and Sergej M. Ostojic Chapter 8 Steroidogenic Enzyme 17,20-Lyase Activity in Cortisolsecreting and Non-Functioning Adrenocortical Adenomas 187 Hajime Ueshiba Chapter 9 Salivary or Serum Cortisol: Possible Implications for Alcohol Research 199 Anna Kokavec ContentsVI Preface Understanding complex mechanisms of action and key roles in different biological processes in the body has moved steroid science and medicine to expand rapidly in the past decades. Dozens of distinct steroids are identified as both control and target molecules, with regulation of physiological and pathophysiological steroidogenesis recognized as one of the essential research topics in the field. On the other hand, steroids have been practiced as both medical agents and clinical markers for many purposes, from bone marrow stimulation to growth monitoring. This book covers contemporary basic science on steroid research, along with steroid practical application in endocrinology and clinical medicine. The book is divided in two parts. The first part deals with physiological and pathophysiological roles of steroids, with reference to production and action of gonadal steroids, role of steroid sulfonation in mammalian growth and development, sex specific and steroids-dependent mechanism of hippocampal function, and the importance of hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases for the modulation of tissue glucocorticoid availability. The second part will cover different aspects of steroids application in clinical environment. Topics covered in the second part include the endocrine function after ovarian transplantation in terms of sex steroid production from the cryopreserved and reimplanted ovaries, the diagnostic significance of collection, storage and measurement of androgens in saliva of females, main drawbacks of steroids use in sport and exercise, analysis of serum steroid hormone profiles in patients with adrenocortical tumors, and correlation between salivary and serum cortisol responses after alcohol intake. In response to the need to address novel and valuable information on steroids science and medicine, we sincerely hope that this book will enable readers to comprehend this fast- growing and exciting scientific field. Sergej M. Ostojic, MD, PhD Professor of Biomedical Sciences in Sport & Exercise Center for Health, Exercise and Sport Sciences, Belgrade Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Novi Sad Serbia Section 1 Physiology and Pathophysiology of Steroids [...]... depending on the species, as explained before), is converted to 17 alpha-hydroxy-P4 by the enzyme 17al‐ pha-hydroxylase Fetal cortisol also induce the production of 1 7-2 0 desmolase to produce 25 26 Steroids - From Physiology to Clinical Medicine androstenedione from the 17 alpha-hydroxy-P4 and then the induced enzyme aromatase converts androstenedione to estrogens; that is at the end a dramatic drop in P4... or non-genomic actions of androgens are 17 18 Steroids - From Physiology to Clinical Medicine manifested within in seconds to few minutes This rapid effect of androgens are manifold, ranging from activation of G-protein coupled membrane androgen receptors or sex hor‐ mone-binding globulin receptors, stimulation of different protein kinases, to direct modula‐ tion of voltage- and ligand gated ion-channels... insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-I) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) signaling, as well as sex steroids on autophagy focusing about the role regulatory role of mTOR The kinase mTOR links IGF-I and EGF signaling in inhibiting the autophagy pathways Contrary to IGF-I and EGF, E2 and P4 exerted stimulatory effects on autophagy in bovine MEC At the same time, it was a suppressive effect of both steroids. .. case the ligand-activated ERs do not bind to their EREs but anchor in‐ stead to other transcription factors The fourth is the non-genomic plasma-membrane pathway and does not require transcription of genes via the ERs Besides those well documented genomic and non- genomic molecular pathways, it is important to mention the epigenetic regulation 21 22 Steroids - From Physiology to Clinical Medicine Recently,... develop into the epididymis, vas deferens and seminal vesicles This action of androgens is supported by a hormone from Sertoli cells, 7 8 Steroids - From Physiology to Clinical Medicine MIH (Müllerian inhibitory hormone), which prevents the embryonic Müllerian ducts from developing into fallopian tubes and other female reproductive tract tissues in male embryos MIH and androgens cooperate to allow for... from four potential cholesterol sources: 1 synthesized de novo from acetate; 2 from plasma low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL); 3 from the hydrolysis of stored cholesterol esters in the form of lipid droplets; and 4 Interiorized from the plasma membrane; cell organels implicated: smooth endoplasmic reticuli, endosomes and mitochondria 5 6 Steroids - From Physiology to Clinical. .. (female) Secondary sex characteristics Decrease risk of osteoporosis Table 1 Sex steroids: Source, Target tissues and Physiological Functions Modified from (Hu et al., 2010; Senger, 2006) 11 12 Steroids - From Physiology to Clinical Medicine 2.3.2 Progesterone Progesterone, also known as P4 (pregn-4-ene-3,20-dione), is a C-21 steroid hormone in‐ volved in the female menstrual/estral cycle, pregnancy... ion-channel) or by a specific association to different receptors The non-genomic androgen action based on receptor level can be mediated by at least three androgen-binding proteins, the classical intracellular androgen receptor, the transmembrane androgen receptor and the transmembrane sex hormone-binding globulin receptor For both transmembrane receptors, the non-genomic effect is converted via a G-protein... ovarian activity depending on many fac‐ tors (Ruiz-Cortes and Olivera-Angel, 1999) The return to the ovarian activity postpartum, is determined by the recovery of the hipotalamic-hipofisis-ovary axis and mainly by three fac‐ tors: (a) nutrition, by the secretion of leptin from adipocites, (b) suckling, by prolactin pro‐ duction and (c) the cow-calf link, mediated by the senses of the vision and smell... Estro‐ gen receptors are kept inactive in the nucleus and cytoplasm of the cell forming a complex with various heat shock proteins (hsp) that act as chaperones when the cell is not exposed to estro‐ 19 20 Steroids - From Physiology to Clinical Medicine gens Such proteins are hsp90, hsp70 and hsp56 and by forming a complex with the ERs they are believed to prevent them from binding to their response . STEROIDS - FROM PHYSIOLOGY TO CLINICAL MEDICINE Edited by Sergej M. Ostojic Steroids - From Physiology to Clinical Medicine http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/46119 Edited. www.intechopen.com Additional hard copies can be obtained from orders@intechopen.com Steroids - From Physiology to Clinical Medicine, Edited by Sergej M. Ostojic p. cm. ISBN