Steroidogenesis inhibitor
| Steroidogenesis inhibitor | |
|---|---|
| Drug class | |
| Class identifiers | |
| Synonyms | Steroid biosynthesis inhibitor; Steroid synthesis inhibitor |
| Use | Various |
| Biological target | Steroidogenic enzymes |
| Chemical class | Steroidal; Nonsteroidal |
| Legal status | |
| In Wikidata | |
A steroidogenesis inhibitor, also known as a steroid biosynthesis inhibitor, is a type of drug which inhibits one or more of the enzymes that are involved in the process of steroidogenesis, the biosynthesis of endogenous steroids and steroid hormones.[1] They may inhibit the production of cholesterol and other sterols, sex steroids such as androgens, estrogens, and progestogens, corticosteroids such as glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids, and neurosteroids.[1][2] They are used in the treatment of a variety of medical conditions that depend on endogenous steroids.[1]
Steroidogenesis inhibitors are analogous in effect and use to antigonadotropins (which specifically inhibit gonadal sex steroid production), but work via a different mechanism of action; whereas antigonadotropins suppress gonadal production of sex steroids by effecting negative feedback on and thereby suppressing the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis, steroidogenesis inhibitors directly inhibit the enzymatic biosynthesis of steroids.[1]
- ^ a b c d Vanden Bossche H (1992). "Inhibitors of P450-dependent steroid biosynthesis: from research to medical treatment". J. Steroid Biochem. Mol. Biol. 43 (8): 1003–21. doi:10.1016/0960-0760(92)90328-G. PMID 22217845. S2CID 5876596.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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