Androgenic sex hormone

An exactly analogous enzymic transformation is encountered during the formation of oestrogen and androgen sex hormones, e.g. estradiol and testosterone respectively, where dehydroepiandrosterone is oxidized to androstenedione. 

Testosterone (5.45) is the prototypic androgen sex hormone. Testosterone is synthesized by the testes, and must be reduced to dihydrotestosterone (5.46, DHT) before it will bind to the receptor. Among highly active synthetic testosterone analogs, 7a-methyl-19-nortestosterone (5.47) and oxandrolone (5.48) have about 100 times greater activity than testosterone as androgens. 17a-Methyltestosterone (5.49) is orally active. 

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