Steroid

Steranium molecule or cyclopentane-perhydro-fenantrene.

Colesterol, the precursor of many other steroids.

The steroids are organic compounds derived from the cyclopentanoperhydrophenanthrene or sterane nucleus, which is made up of vitamins and hormones forming four fused rings, three with six atoms and one with five; It has a total of 17 carbon atoms. In steroids, this basic structure is modified by the addition of various functional groups, such as carbonyls and hydroxyls (hydrophilic) or hydrocarbon chains (hydrophobic).

History of Steroids

The history of steroids dates back to the 1930s, when German chemist Adolph Butenandt and his team managed to obtain 15mg of a synthetic form of estrogen and androsterone. It was in 1935, where said chemist formulated a synthetic version of the testosterone hormone.

Over the next five years, scientists sponsored by pharmaceutical companies found effective ways to synthesize the hormone testosterone in large amounts. The goal was to use steroids as a treatment for depression. For this feat, Butendant received the Nobel Prize in 1939.

Chemical Structure

The steroid core is fairly rigid with a mostly flat, chain-like structure. Substances derived from this nucleus have methyl groups (-CH₃) at positions 10 and 13, which represent carbons 18 and 19, as well as a carbonyl or hydroxyl at carbon 3; there is usually also a hydrocarbon side chain at carbon 17; the length of said chain and the presence of methyls, hydroxyls or carbonyls determine the different structures of these substances.

Features

Steroid hormones have in common that they:

• They synthesize from cholesterol.
• They are lipophilic hormones that freely cross the eukaryotic plasma membrane, bind to a cytoplasmic receptor, and this receptor-hormone complex has its place of action in the cell nucleus RNA, activating genes or modulating the DNA transcription.

Among the steroids we can highlight the sterols.

Functions

Steroid hormone synthesis in the adrenal glands.

In mammals, such as humans, they fulfill important functions:

• Regulator: Some regulate salt levels and bile secretion.
• Structure: Cholesterol is a steroid that forms part of the structure of the cell membranes along with phospholipids. Also, from cholesterol the other steroids are synthesized.
• Hormonal: Steroid hormones are:
  • Corticosteroids: glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids. There are multiple drugs with corticoid activity, such as prednisone.
  • Male sex hormones: like testosterone and female sex hormones: estrogens. Androgenic anabolizing drugs (AE) called just steroids.
  • Vitamin D and its derivatives.

All of them are derivatives of steroids, therefore it is of the utmost importance in humans.

Liver Function

Anabolic steroids (AS) can cause profound adverse effects on the liver and other major organs. This is particularly true for orally administered AEs. Parenterally administered EAs appear to have less serious effects on the liver.

Testosterone cypionate, testosterone enanthate, and other injectable anabolic steroids appear to have few adverse effects on the liver. However, liver injury has been reported after parenteral administration of nortestosterone, and also occasionally after injection of testosterone esters.

The influence of AEs on liver function has been extensively studied. Most of the studies involve hospitalized patients who are treated for long periods of time for various diseases, such as anemia, kidney failure, impotence, and pituitary gland dysfunction.

In clinical trials, treatment with anabolic steroids resulted in reduced hepatic secretory function. In addition, hepatic cholestasis, reflected by itching and jaundice, and peliosis hepatis were observed.