Cytochrome P450 CYP17A1 catalyzes a series of reactions that lie at the intersection of corticoid and androgen biosynthesis and thus occupies an essential role in steroid hormone metabolism. This multifunctional enzyme catalyzes the 17α-hydroxylation of Δ4- and Δ5-steroids progesterone and pregnenolone to form the corresponding 17α-hydroxy products through its hydroxylase activity, and a subseq...

Suppression of gonadal testosterone synthesis represents the standard first line therapy for treatment of metastatic prostate cancer. However, in the majority of patients who develop castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), it is possible to detect persistent activation of the androgen receptor (AR) through androgens produced in the adrenal gland or within the tumor itself. Abiraterone acet...

BACKGROUND CD4+ cells are implicated in the healing process after myocardial infarction (MI). We sought to investigate the role of interleukin-23 (IL-23) deficiency, a cytokine important in differentiation of CD4+ cells, in scar formation of the ischemic heart. METHODS AND RESULTS MI was performed in wild-type and IL23p19-/- mice. Thirty-day mortality, hemodynamic function 4 days after MI and...

BACKGROUND Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common cause of hyperandrogenism in women. Non-classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia (NCAH) is very close to PCOS. The diagnosis of hyperandrogenism is not based on the finding of decreased or increased levels of a single hormone. OBJECTIVE In our paper, we are going to test correlation between clinical signs and biochemical markers of ...

The influence of salinity on toxicity outcomes has been demonstrated for various contaminants, but has received limited attention for endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Short-term laboratory tests using small-bodied fish are an important tool for evaluating impacts of EDCs on reproduction. Tests have been developed for both freshwater and estuarine/marine species, providing an opportunity t...

Human steroid biosynthesis depends on a specifically regulated cascade of enzymes including 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases (HSD3Bs). Type 2 HSD3B catalyzes the conversion of pregnenolone, 17α-hydroxypregnenolone and dehydroepiandrosterone to progesterone, 17α-hydroxyprogesterone and androstenedione in the human adrenal cortex and the gonads but the exact regulation of this enzyme is unknown. ...

BACKGROUND Human fetal adrenal glands are highly active and, with the placenta, regulate circulating progesterone, estrogen and corticosteroids in the fetus. At birth the adrenals are essential for neonate salt retention through secretion of aldosterone, while adequate glucocorticoids are required to prevent adrenal insufficiency. The objective of this study was to carry out the first comprehen...

Studies demonstrate that exposure to steroid hormones in receiving waters can adversely impact reproduction of aquatic organisms. In particular, exogenous steroid hormones widely used as growth promoters in animal agriculture are of high concern, yet no gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC/MS/MS) analytical methods for the detection of these compounds in complex environmental matrice...

Glucocorticosteroids are prohibited in sports when used by systemic administrations (e.g. oral), whereas they are allowed using other administration ways. Strategies to discriminate between administrations routes have to be developed by doping control laboratories. For this reason, the metabolism of prednisolone (PRED) was studied using liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry....