Androsterone, or 3α-hydroxy-5α-androstan-17-one, is an endogenous steroid hormone, neurosteroid, and putative pheromone. It is a weak androgen with a potency that is approximately 1/7 that of testosterone. Androsterone is a metabolite of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT). In addition, it can be converted back into DHT via 3α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, bypassing conventional intermediates such as androstanedione and testosterone, and as such, can be considered to be a metabolic intermediate in its own right.
Etiocholanolone, also known as 5β-androsterone, as well as 3α-hydroxy-5β-androstan-17-one or etiocholan-3α-ol-17-one, is an etiocholane (5β-androstane) steroid as well as an endogenous 17-ketosteroid that is produced from the metabolism of testosterone. It causes fever, immunostimulation, and leukocytosis, and is used to evaluate adrenal cortex function, bone marrow performance, and in neoplastic disease to stimulate the immune system. Etiocholanolone is also known to be an inhibitory androstane neurosteroid, acting as a positive allosteric modulator of the GABAA receptor, and possesses anticonvulsant effects. The unnatural enantiomer of etiocholanolone is more potent as a positive allosteric modulator of GABAA receptors and as an anticonvulsant than the natural form.
Dehydroandrosterone (DHA), or 5-dehydroandrosterone (5-DHA), also known as isoandrostenolone, as well as androst-5-en-3α-ol-17-one, is an endogenous androgen steroid hormone. It is the 3α-epimer of dehydroepiandrosterone and the 5(6)-dehydrogenated and non-5α-reduced analogue of androsterone (5α-androstan-3α-ol-17-one). DHA is produced in and secreted from the adrenal glands, along with other weak androgens like DHEA, androstenediol, and androstenedione.
Androstanedione, also known as 5α-androstanedione or as 5α-androstane-3,17-dione, is a naturally occurring androstane (5α-androstane) steroid and an endogenous metabolite of androgens like testosterone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and androstenedione. It is the C5 epimer of etiocholanedione (5β-androstanedione). Androstanedione is formed from androstenedione by 5α-reductase and from DHT by 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase. It has some androgenic activity.
3α-Androstanediol glucuronide (3α-ADG) is a metabolite formed from human androgens; compounds involved in the development and maintenance of sexual characteristics. It is formed by the glucuronidation of both dihydrotestosterone and testosterone, and has been proposed as means of measuring androgenic activity.
Estriol glucuronide (E3G), or oestriol glucuronide, also known as estriol monoglucuronide, as well as estriol 16α-β-D-glucosiduronic acid, is a natural, steroidal estrogen and the glucuronic acid conjugate of estriol. It occurs in high concentrations in the urine of pregnant women as a reversibly formed metabolite of estriol. Estriol glucuronide is a prodrug of estriol, and was the major component of Progynon and Emmenin, estrogenic products manufactured from the urine of pregnant women that were introduced in the 1920s and 1930s and were the first orally active estrogens. Emmenin was succeeded by Premarin, which is sourced from the urine of pregnant mares and was introduced in 1941. Premarin replaced Emmenin due to the fact that it was easier and less expensive to produce.
5β-Dihydrotestosterone (5β-DHT), also known as 5β-androstan-17β-ol-3-one or as etiocholan-17β-ol-3-one, is an etiocholane (5β-androstane) steroid as well as an inactive metabolite of testosterone formed by 5β-reductase in the liver and bone marrow and an intermediate in the formation of 3α,5β-androstanediol and 3β,5β-androstanediol and, from them, respectively, etiocholanolone and epietiocholanolone. Unlike its isomer 5α-dihydrotestosterone, 5β-DHT either does not bind to or binds only very weakly to the androgen receptor. 5β-DHT is notable among metabolites of testosterone in that, due to the fusion of the A and B rings in the cis orientation, it has an extremely angular molecular shape, and this could be related to its lack of androgenic activity. 5β-DHT, unlike 5α-DHT, is also inactive in terms of neurosteroid activity, although its metabolite, etiocholanolone, does possess such activity.
Epietiocholanolone, also known as 3β-hydroxy-5β-androstan-17-one or as etiocholan-3β-ol-17-one, is an etiocholane (5β-androstane) steroid as well as an inactive metabolite of testosterone that is formed in the liver. The metabolic pathway is testosterone to 5β-dihydrotestosterone, 5β-dihydrotestosterone to 3β,5β-androstanediol, and 3β,5β-androstanediol to epietiocholanolone. Epietiocholanolone can also be formed directly from 5β-androstanedione. It is glucuronidated and sulfated in the liver and excreted in urine.
3α-Etiocholanediol, or simply etiocholanediol, also known as 3α,5β-androstanediol or as etiocholane-3α,17β-diol, is a naturally occurring etiocholane (5β-androstane) steroid and an endogenous metabolite of testosterone. It is formed from 5β-dihydrotestosterone and is further transformed into etiocholanolone.
Estradiol glucuronide, or estradiol 17β-D-glucuronide, is a conjugated metabolite of estradiol. It is formed from estradiol in the liver by UDP-glucuronyltransferase via attachment of glucuronic acid and is eventually excreted in the urine by the kidneys. It has much higher water solubility than does estradiol. Glucuronides are the most abundant estrogen conjugates.
Estrone glucuronide, or estrone-3-D-glucuronide, is a conjugated metabolite of estrone. It is formed from estrone in the liver by UDP-glucuronyltransferase via attachment of glucuronic acid and is eventually excreted in the urine by the kidneys. It has much higher water solubility than does estrone. Glucuronides are the most abundant estrogen conjugates and estrone glucuronide is the dominant metabolite of estradiol.
Estriol sulfate glucuronide, or estriol 3-sulfate 16α-glucuronide, is an endogenous, naturally occurring diconjugated metabolite of estriol. It is generated in the liver from estriol sulfate by UDP-glucuronyltransferase and is eventually excreted in the urine by the kidneys. It occurs in high concentrations during pregnancy along with estriol sulfate and estriol glucuronide, and was a component of the early pharmaceutical estrogens Progynon and Emmenin.
Androsterone glucuronide (ADT-G) is a major circulating and urinary metabolite of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT). It accounts for 93% of total androgen glucuronides in women. ADT-G is formed from androsterone by UDP-glucuronosyltransferases, with the major enzymes being UGT2B15 and UGT2B17. It is a marker of acne in women while androstanediol glucuronide is a marker of hirsutism in women.
Testosterone glucuronide is an endogenous, naturally occurring steroid and minor urinary metabolite of testosterone.
Testosterone sulfate is an endogenous, naturally occurring steroid and minor urinary metabolite of testosterone.
4-Hydroxyestradiol (4-OHE2), also known as estra-1,3,5(10)-triene-3,4,17β-triol, is an endogenous, naturally occurring catechol estrogen and a minor metabolite of estradiol. It is estrogenic, similarly to many other hydroxylated estrogen metabolites such as 2-hydroxyestradiol, 16α-hydroxyestrone, estriol (16α-hydroxyestradiol), and 4-hydroxyestrone but unlike 2-hydroxyestrone.
Estriol 3-glucuronide, or oestriol 3-glucuronide, also known as estriol 3-β-D-glucosiduronic acid, is a natural, steroidal estrogen and a glucuronic acid conjugate of estriol. It is found in the urine of women as a reversibly formed metabolite of estriol. The positional isomer of estriol 3-glucuronide, estriol 16α-glucuronide, also occurs as an endogenous metabolite of estriol, but to a much greater extent in comparison.
Androsterone sulfate, also known as 3α-hydroxy-5α-androstan-17-one 3α-sulfate, is an endogenous, naturally occurring steroid and one of the major urinary metabolites of androgens. It is a steroid sulfate which is formed from sulfation of androsterone by the steroid sulfotransferase SULT2A1 and can be desulfated back into androsterone by steroid sulfatase.
Etiocholanedione, also known as 5β-androstanedione or as etiocholane-3,17-dione, is a naturally occurring etiocholane (5β-androstane) steroid and an endogenous metabolite of androgens like testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and androstenedione. It is the C5 epimer of androstanedione (5α-androstanedione). Although devoid of androgenic activity like other 5β-reduced steroids, etiocholanedione has some biological activity of its own. The compound has been found to possess potent haematopoietic effects in a variety of models. In addition, it has been found to promote weight loss in animals and in a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study in humans conducted in 1993. These effects are said to be similar to those of DHEA. Unlike DHEA however, etiocholanedione cannot be metabolized further into steroid hormones like androgens and estrogens.
Estradiol 3-glucuronide (E2-3G), also known as 17β-estradiol 3-(β-D-glucuronide), is a naturally occurring and endogenous estrogen conjugate. It is specifically the C3 glucuronide conjugate of estradiol, the major estrogen in the body. It is formed from estradiol in the liver by UDP-glucuronosyltransferase via attachment of glucuronic acid and is eventually excreted in urine and bile. Similarly to estrogen sulfates like estrone sulfate, estrogen glucuronides have much higher water solubility than do unconjugated estrogens like estradiol.
