Pathophysiology
Androgens are steroid hormones derived from cholesterol composed by 19 carbon atoms (C19). These molecules are of utmost importance in male sexual development and differentiation.
Testosterone (T) and its more potent metabolite, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), are the principal circulating androgens.
Other androgens are:
Androstenedione (A4) is a prohormone and a not very potent androgen with 20% of the effectiveness of testosterone. It is produced by the testes, adrenal cortex, and ovaries.
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). Its production primarily occurs in the adrenal cortex. DHEA is a crucial precursor of natural estrogens and testosterone after its conversion by aromatase and beta-HSD isozymes, respectively. These enzymes are usually expressed in peripheral target tissues.
Dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S). This androgen is obtained from DHEA by the action of sulfotransferase which is located in adrenals and liver.
DHEA and DHEA-S are weak hormones with only 3% of...
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References and Further Reading
Bennett, N. C., Gardiner, R. A., Hooper, J. D., Johnson, D. W., & Gobe, G. C. (2010). Molecular cell biology of androgen receptor signalling. The International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology, 42(6), 813–827.
Davison, S. L., & Davis, S. R. (2003). Androgens in women. Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 85(2–5), 363–366.
Longcope, C. (1986). Adrenal and gonadal androgen secretion in normal females. Clinics in Endocrinology and Metabolism, 15(2), 213–228.
Makieva, S., Saunders, P. T. K., & Norman, J. E. (2014). Androgens in pregnancy: Roles in parturition. Human Reproduction Update, 20(4), 542–559.
Roy, A. K., Tyagi, R. K., Song, C. S., et al. (2001). Androgen receptor: Structural domains and functional dynamics after ligand-receptor interaction. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 949, 44–57.
Shahidi, N. T. (1973). Androgens and erythropoiesis. The New England Journal of Medicine, 289(2), 72–80.
Sinha-Hikim, I., Taylor, W. E., Gonzalez-Cadavid, N. F., Zheng, W., & Bhasin, S. (2004). Androgen receptor in human skeletal muscle and cultured muscle satellite cells: Up-regulation by androgen treatment. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 89(10), 5245–5255.
Traish, A. M., Kim, N., Min, K., Munarriz, R., & Goldstein, I. (2002). Role of androgens in female genital sexual arousal: Receptor expression, structure, and function. Fertility and Sterility, 77(Suppl 4), S11–S18.
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Porcari, I., Bosco, M., Uccella, S. (2021). Androgens. In: van Krieken, J. (eds) Encyclopedia of Pathology. Encyclopedia of Pathology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28845-1_5321-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28845-1_5321-1
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