316 



ANIMAL BIOCHEMISTRY 



cosieioiie is ;iii cxamjjlc o{ the first class, and (oi licostcioiir n[ ihc 

 second. 



CHoOH 



corticosterone 



CH2OH 



c=o 



OH 



deoxycorticosterone 



CH2OH 



c=o 



17- hydroxy -11- dehydrocorticosterone 

 (compound E) 



17-hydroxycorticosterone 

 (compound F) 



Compound E has been used extensively in the treatment of arthritis 

 and rheumatism. It was first synthesized by a group of workers at 

 Mayo Clinic and is produced commercially by a number of com- 

 panies. Compounds E and F also have an effect on carbohydrate 

 metabolism and stimidate glycogen deposition in animals previously 

 starved. A number of synthetic steroid hormones, modified slightly by 

 substitution of other groups such as halogens, are effective against 

 arthritis and other diseases without some of the adverse side effects 

 which result from extended use of compound E. The adrenocortico- 

 sterones are structurally quite similar to some of the sex hormones and 

 might be interconverted in vivo, or administration of these hormones 

 may stimulate the production of adrenogenital hormones which occur 

 normally in small amounts. Whatever the reason, increased femaleness 

 in the male (enlarged breasts with genital atrophy) and development 

 of maleness in the female have been observed in some patients on 

 adrenal hormone therapy. 



None of the individual steroids cures Addison's disease, although 

 the disease responds to corticular extracts, indicating that unidentified 

 factors remain to be detected. It is interesting to note the great differ- 

 ences in biological activity observed upon minor changes in the 



