1. Natural glucocorticoids are
produced in the cortex of adrenal gland
2. Glucocorticoids are steroid
hormones. Natural steroid hormones are generally synthesized from cholesterol
in the gonads
and adrenal
glands. These forms of hormones are lipids. They can pass
through the cell membrane as they are fat-soluble, and then bind to steroid hormone receptors which may be
nuclear or cytosolic depending on the steroid hormone, to bring about changes
within the cell. The glucocorticoid
receptor is cytosolic
3. Steroid hormones are not water
soluble. Glucocorticoids are lipid soluble so they have to be carried in the
blood complex to specific binding globulins.
4. Steroid hormones are nonpolar (no
net charge), and can thus diffuse across lipid membranes (such as the plasma
membrane). They leave cells shortly
after synthesis. Polar substances are water soluble (dissolve in water),
nonpolar substances are lipid soluble. Making it a Plasma membrane receptor.
5. Glucorticoids have a negative
feedback loop because the product of the reactions interrupts the activity of the
enzyme producing the product.
6. The name “glucocorticoid” derives
from early observations that these hormones were involved in glucose (sugar) metabolism. During times when no food is being taken
into the body, glucocorticoids stimulate several processes that serve to
increase and maintain normal glucose concentrations in the blood. These
processes include:
·
Stimulation
of glucose production in cells, particularly in the liver.
·
Stimulation
of fat breakdown in adipose (fat) tissues.
·
Inhibition of glucose and fat storage in cells.
They
affect all types of inflammatory responses, regardless of the mode of injury or
type of disease-causing substance.
7. The receptors in target molecules
need to be suitable for the signaling molecule for glucocorticoids
No comments:
Post a Comment