Androgens

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Related to Androgens: aldosterone, progesterone, testosterone, adrenal androgens

The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Androgens

a group of male sex hormones that cause masculinization in the bodies of animals and man. The six hormones that are classified as androgens are the male hormone itself, testosterone; Δ⁴-androstene-3, 17-dione; 1 11β-oxyepiandrosterone; dehydroepiandrosterone (dehy-droisoandrosterone); androstenediol; and Δ⁴-androstenol-1 l1β-dione-3,17. Androgens are formed not only in the interstitial cells of the testicles, but also in the ovaries and in the cortex of the adrenal glands. Elaboration of androgens and their entry into the blood are regulated by the hypophysis. Injection of androgens after castration of males leads to restoration of secondary sex characteristics (for instance, the combs of capons) and also even partially of the structures of the seminal vesicles and prostate gland. In chemical structure all androgens are steroids. The metabolic products of androgens are 17-ketosteroids, which are excreted in the urine. Androgens are used in medicine in disturbances of sexual function and during the climacteric.

REFERENCE

Berzin, T. Biokhimiia gormonov. Moscow, 1964. Page 215. (Translated from German.)

G. L. SHREIBERG

References in periodicals archive ?

A major disadvantage of this enhancer system is its response to glucocorticoids and progesterone apart from androgens. A natural androgen-responsive transcriptional enhancer from the rat probasin gene regulatory region has also been used [21, 26].

In vitro reporter assays for screening of chemicals that disrupt androgen signaling

Evaluation of androgen, estrogen (ER alpha and ER beta), and progester-one receptor expression in human prostate cancer by real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assays.

Metastatic prostate cancer in transsexual diagnosed after three decades of estrogen therapy

In a woman's body, one of the main purposes of androgens is to be converted into the female hormones called estrogens.

Androgen

As with any classic causality dilemma, it is difficult to know if elevations in androgen hormones are a result of insulin resistance through one of the mechanisms outlined above, or if the presence of high androgens contributes to decreased insulin sensitivity in the first place.

Elevated androgens and insulin resistance in PCOS: the 'Chicken and the egg' and the importance of thorough evaluation of obese and nonobese patients

Patient records were used to retrieve clinical information (age, stage, Gleason score, length of treatment with androgen blockade where appropriate, bone scan results, serum PSA, and time from diagnosis at the time of sampling).

Effect of androgen blockade on HER-2 and matrix metalloproteinase-2 expression on bone marrow micrometastasis and stromal cells in men with prostate cancer

"Androgen receptor (AR)" is a 110 KD nuclear receptor located on Xq11-12.

Androgen Receptor as a Prognostic Marker in Adenocarcinoma Prostate

There was no significant correlation of androgens with severity (Table-II) with Spearman Correlation.

Serum levels of androgens in acne and their role in acne severity

Androgens and breast cancer in premenopausal women.

ANDROGEN RECEPTOR POSITIVITY IN TRIPLE-NEGATIVE BREAST CANCER

Androgens primarily exert their functions via the AR through genomic or transcriptional pathway that ultimately modulates the expression of their target gene.

Immunolocalization and Expression of Androgen receptor in the Oviduct of Laying Hens

We describe a postmenopausal woman with an androgen secreting ovarian tumors with elevated testosterone levels which may be undetectable on clinical and radiological examination.

Hyperandrogenism in a Postmenopausal Woman Secondary to Testosterone Secreting Ovarian Stromal Tumor with Acoustic Schwannoma

Because androgen synthesis is such a complicated process, there are many different processes that can be targeted for reducing androgen levels.

Cryptotanshinone Regulates Androgen Synthesis through the ERK/c-Fos/CYP17 Pathway in Porcine Granulosa Cells

Sebaceous glands are sensitive to androgen stimulation which will result in a lot of grease and possibly blackheads too.