290 



HORMONES 



^^HC— 0— CHsCHoNCCHs)^ 



Benadryl 



\ / 



^ /-N— CH2CH,N(CH3)2 

 Pyribenzamine 



Hormones of the adrenal cortex 



The outer part, or cortex, of the adrenal gland produces a series of 

 hormones which are essential for life. In this respect the cortex differs 

 from the medulla, for the latter can be removed from animals without 

 causing death. However, in 1930 Hartman and Brownell found that 

 adrenalectomized animals ^ could be kept alive if injected at regular 

 intervals with material extracted from the adrenals of other animals 

 of the same or different species. The life-maintaining principle was 

 contained in the nonsaponifiable part of the extract from the cortex and 

 was eventually found to consist of a group of closely related steroids. 

 At least 28 individual steroids have been separated from such extracts 

 as pure crystalline substances, of which six possess marked adrenal cor- 

 tical activity.^ The chemical structures of these six compounds are as 

 follows (see p. 94 for diagram and numbering of the steroid ring system) : 



or ^^ ^ 



1 l-Desoxycorticosterone, 

 C21H30O3 



Corticosterone, 

 C21H30O4 



1 1-Dehydrocorticosterone, 

 C21H28O4 



17-Hydroxy-ll-desoxy- 17-Hydroxycorticosterone, Cortisone, C21H28O5 

 corticosterone, C21H30O4 C21H30O5 (17-Hydroxy-ll-dehydro- 



corticosterone) 



^ Animals with both adrenals completely removed. 



^ In addition, there is a noncrystalline residue which still contains one-fourth to one- 

 half the biological activity of the original extracts. 



