This introductory chapter provides an overview of the levels and sites at which endocrine disruptors (EDs) affect steroid actions. In contrast to the special issue of Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology published three years ago and devoted to EDs as such, this paper focuses on steroids. We tried to point to more recent findings and opened questions. EDs interfere with steroid biosynthesis and metabolism either as inhibitors of relevant enzymes, or at the level of their expression. Particular attention was paid to enzymes metabolizing steroid hormones to biologically active products in target cells, such as aromatase, 5α-reductase and 3β-, 11β- and 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases. An important target for EDs is also steroid acute regulatory protein (StAR), responsible for steroid precursor trafficking to mitochondria. EDs influence receptor-mediated steroid actions at both genomic and non-genomic levels. The remarkable differences in response to various steroid-receptor ligands led to a more detailed investigation of events following steroid/disruptor binding to the receptors and to the mapping of the signaling cascades and nuclear factors involved. A virtual screening of a large array of EDs with steroid receptors, known as in silico methods (≡computer simulation), is another promising approach for studying quantitative structure activity relationships and docking. New data may be expected on the effect of EDs on steroid hormone binding to selective plasma transport proteins, namely transcortin and sex hormone-binding globulin. Little information is available so far on the effects of EDs on the major hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal/gonadal axes, of which the kisspeptin/GPR54 system is of particular importance. Kisspeptins act as stimulators for hormone-induced gonadotropin secretion and their expression is regulated by sex steroids via a feed-back mechanism. Kisspeptin is now believed to be one of the key factors triggering puberty in mammals, and various EDs affect its expression and function. Finally, advances in analytics of EDs, especially those persisting in the environment, in various body fluids (plasma, urine, seminal fluid, and follicular fluid) are mentioned. Surprisingly, relatively scarce information is available on the simultaneous determination of EDs and steroids in the same biological material. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'Endocrine disruptors & steroids'.
- Klíčová slova
- Endocrine disruptors, Overreview, Sites of action, Steroids,
- MeSH
- 17-hydroxysteroidní dehydrogenasy genetika metabolismus MeSH
- 3-oxo-5-alfa-steroid-4-dehydrogenasa genetika metabolismus MeSH
- dějiny 20. století MeSH
- dějiny 21. století MeSH
- endokrinní disruptory dějiny farmakologie MeSH
- globulin vázající pohlavní hormony genetika metabolismus MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- pohlavní steroidní hormony dějiny metabolismus MeSH
- regulace genové exprese MeSH
- rychlé screeningové testy MeSH
- signální transdukce MeSH
- simulace molekulového dockingu MeSH
- steroidní receptory genetika metabolismus MeSH
- systém hypofýza - nadledviny účinky léků metabolismus MeSH
- systém hypotalamus-hypofýza účinky léků metabolismus MeSH
- transkortin genetika metabolismus MeSH
- vztahy mezi strukturou a aktivitou MeSH
- Check Tag
- dějiny 20. století MeSH
- dějiny 21. století MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- historické články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- přehledy MeSH
- Názvy látek
- 17-hydroxysteroidní dehydrogenasy MeSH
- 3 (or 17)-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase MeSH Prohlížeč
- 3-oxo-5-alfa-steroid-4-dehydrogenasa MeSH
- endokrinní disruptory MeSH
- globulin vázající pohlavní hormony MeSH
- pohlavní steroidní hormony MeSH
- steroidní receptory MeSH
- transkortin MeSH
- MeSH
- aktivní transport MeSH
- asialoglykoproteiny * MeSH
- buněčná membrána metabolismus MeSH
- erytrocyty metabolismus MeSH
- hydrokortison metabolismus MeSH
- játra metabolismus MeSH
- kinetika MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- techniky in vitro MeSH
- transkortin analogy a deriváty izolace a purifikace metabolismus MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- Názvy látek
- asialoglykoproteiny * MeSH
- asialotranscortin MeSH Prohlížeč
- hydrokortison MeSH
- transkortin MeSH
- MeSH
- acetáty farmakologie MeSH
- antagonisté androgenů * MeSH
- cyproteron farmakologie MeSH
- histocytochemie MeSH
- hormony kůry nadledvin biosyntéza MeSH
- krysa rodu Rattus MeSH
- nadledviny cytologie účinky léků fyziologie MeSH
- pregnadieny farmakologie MeSH
- transkortin metabolismus MeSH
- vazba proteinů MeSH
- velikost orgánu MeSH
- zpětná vazba MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- krysa rodu Rattus MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- Názvy látek
- acetáty MeSH
- antagonisté androgenů * MeSH
- cyproteron MeSH
- hormony kůry nadledvin MeSH
- pregnadieny MeSH
- transkortin MeSH
- MeSH
- hormony kůry nadledvin metabolismus MeSH
- krevní proteiny metabolismus MeSH
- transkortin metabolismus MeSH
- vazba proteinů MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- přehledy MeSH
- Názvy látek
- hormony kůry nadledvin MeSH
- krevní proteiny MeSH
- transkortin MeSH
