12 - Sex Hormones Flashcards
What are the primary sites of production of sex hormones?
- Ovaries, testes
- Placenta
- Adrenal gland
- Prostate
What are the 3 main types of sex hormones? Which are female and which are male?
- Estrogens (female)
- Progestagens (female)
- Androgens (male)
What are synthetic analogs of progestagens called?
Progestins
What is the function of hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin)?
Sustains luteal phase during pregnancy by stimulating corpus luteum to release progesterone and estradiol, which inhibit the next round of ovulation and menstruation
When is estradiol released? What do it do?
- Released by mature follicle to create proliferative endometrium
- Triggers release of LH
What is the function of luteinizing hormone?
Triggers ovulation and initiates formation of corpus luteum
What is the function of progesterone?
- Stimulates and maintains secretory endometrium
- When levels subside, menstruation begins
- Stimulates thickening of cervical secretions to decrease sperm penetration
- Stimulates breast lactation
Where is estradiol production the highest?
Ovaries
Is estradiol production higher during menstruation or during pregnancy? Why?
1000x more during pregnancy to inhibit ovulation
What effect does estradiol have on calcium?
Inhibits Ca loss from bones by reducing production of bone resorption stimulating protein
Where is progesterone production the highest?
Ovaries
Is progesterone production higher during menstruation or during pregnancy?
Pregnancy
Where is production of testosterone the highest?
Testes
What is testosterone converted into and by what?
Converted in 5 alpha-DHT by 5 alpha-reductase
What is the function of testosterone?
- Androgenic effects = dev’t of male sex characteristics
- Anabolic effects = growth of skeletal and cardiac muscle, bone, and RBC’s
What is testosterones effect in women?
- Libido
- Mood
- Muscle mass and bone density
Where is production of 5 alpha-DHT (dihydrotestosterone) the highest?
Scalp (hair follicles) and prostate
Is testosterone or 5 alpha-DHT more potent?
5 alpha-DHT
What can high levels of 5 alpha-DHT lead to?
Prostate hypertrophy
What is needed on CYP19 aromatase for it to be able to aromatize?
Methyl group on A ring
What is produced when testosterone is aromatized?
Estradiol
Are the reduction products of progesterone active or inactive?
Inactive
What are progesterones primarily converted into?
Corticosterone and hydrocortisone
What is required for a metabolite of testosterone to be active?
- Trans/trans/trans backbone configuration
- Configuration at C-17 must have OH in beta and H in alpha positions