Sex-hormonal agent
| Sex-hormonal agent | ||
|---|---|---|
Chemical class Steroidal; Nonsteroidal | | |
| Legal status | ||
| In Wikidata | ||
A sex-hormonal agent, also known as a sex-hormone receptor modulator, is a type of
hormonal agent which specifically modulates the effects of sex hormones and of their biological targets, the sex hormone receptors. The sex hormones include androgens such as testosterone, estrogens such as estradiol, and progestogens such as progesterone.[1] Sex-hormonal agents may be either steroidal or nonsteroidal in chemical structure and may serve to either enhance, inhibit, or have mixed effects on the function of the sex hormone systems.[2]
Sex-hormonal agents are used in
menopausal hormone therapy, androgen replacement therapy, transgender hormone therapy), antihormone therapy (e.g., androgen deprivation therapy, estrogen deprivation therapy), and hormonal contraception
, among others.
Types and examples
Androgen receptor (AR) modulators
- Androgens and anabolic steroids (AR agonists)
- Examples: testosterone, androstanolone (dihydrotestosterone), prasterone (dehydroepiandrosterone), nandrolone (nortestosterone), methyltestosterone, metandienone (methandrostenolone), oxandrolone, stanozolol, danazol
- Selective androgen receptor modulators (AR mixed agonists/antagonists)
- Antiandrogens (AR antagonists)
Estrogen receptor (ER) modulators
- Estrogens (ER agonists)
- Examples: estradiol, estrone, estriol, estetrol, conjugated estrogens (Premarin), ethinylestradiol, diethylstilbestrol (stilbestrol), chlorotrianisene
- Selective estrogen receptor modulators (ER mixed agonists/antagonists)
- Examples: tamoxifen, clomifene, cyclofenil, raloxifene, toremifene, lasofoxifene, ospemifene, bazedoxifene
- Antiestrogens (ER antagonists)
- Examples: fulvestrant, ICI-164384, TAS-108 (SR-16234), ZB716 (fulvestrant-3-boronic acid), ethamoxytriphetol (MER-25)
Progesterone receptor (PR) modulators
- progestins(PR agonists)
- Examples: progesterone, medroxyprogesterone acetate, norethisterone (norethindrone), levonorgestrel, drospirenone, dydrogesterone
- Selective progesterone receptor modulators (PR mixed agonists/antagonists)
- Examples: mifepristone, ulipristal acetate, telapristone (CDB-4124), vilaprisan (BAY-1002670)
- Antiprogestogens (PR antagonists)
- Examples: aglepristone, onapristone (ZK-89299)
Indirect sex-hormonal agents
Drugs that indirectly influence sex hormone systems, such as
GnRH agonists, and steroidogenesis inhibitors like aromatase inhibitors and androgen synthesis inhibitors
, are also sex-hormonal agents.
See also
References
- ISBN 978-0-7817-6879-5.
- ISBN 978-0-7817-4868-1.