ADRENOCORTICOSTEROIDS
The adrenal cortex
releases a large number of steroids into the circulation. Some have minimal
biologic activity and function pri-marily as precursors, and there are some for
which no function has been established. The hormonal steroids may be classified
as those having important effects on intermediary metabolism and immune
function (glucocorticoids), those
having principally salt-retaining activity (mineralocorticoids),
and those having androgenic or estrogenic activity . In humans, the
major gluco-corticoid is cortisol
and the most important mineralocorticoid is aldosterone. Quantitatively, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in its
sulfated form (DHEAS) is the major adrenal androgen. However, DHEA and two
other adrenal androgens, androstenediol and androstenedione, are weak androgens
or (by conversion) estro-gens. Adrenal androgens constitute the major
endogenous precur-sors of estrogen in women after menopause and in younger
patients in whom ovarian function is deficient or absent.
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