Steroids The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

General Structure of Steroids Steroidnucleus: 3x cyclohexane rings A,B,C 1 x cyclopentane ring D

Types of Steroids 1.Cholesterol 2.Steroid Hormones 3.Anabolic Steroids

Cholesterol Good or bad ?

Cholesterol Most abundant steroid in the body Why does it have the ending –ol?

Facts about Cholesterol its part of every cell membrane insulates nerve and brain tissue forms bile for digestion forms Vitamin D in skin starting material for steroid hormones: sex hormones, cortisone Leads to heart attacks

Lipid Metabolism Cholesterol is so important that the body does not rely on what you eat…. It manufactures 80% of the cholesterol needed Serum Cholesterol Levels in your body can be measured via blood tests: Lipid Panels

Lipid Panels What health care professional look for…  Total Cholesterol  HDL: High density Cholesterol: dubbed “good”  LDL: Low density Cholesterol: dubbed “bad”

HDL/LDL/VLDL HDL transports excess cholesterol/lipids from tissue to liver for production of bile LDL transports cholesterol/lipids to tissue for membrane maintenance/insulation/repair Can form plaques VLDL/Chylomicrons transports cholesterol/lipids from small intestine to tissue for energy production/storage

Why? Lowering Cholesterol Levels is a business…. 1. Food industry: fat free/cholesterol free produce: lean meats, low fat dairy: the hunt for saturated fats/cholesterol 2. Pharmaceutical Industry: Statin Drugs Statistics linking high cholesterol levels to frequency of heart attacks has never been strong!!!

LIPITOR: The most widely used drug in the world… Pharmaceutical drug lowering cholesterol levels…. Reaps 26 bio in sales/year worldwide Side effects range from diabetes, to cancer What many critiques now look for…

The Diversity of Cholesterol Levels Cholesterol levels show individual variations due to: 1.Genetics 2.Age 3.General health: cholesterol is an anti- inflammatory, anti-stress substance, it can rise due to reasons ranging from stress, lack of sleep, drugs and chronic diseases (diabetes) 4.Diet: Plant based diets are correlated with lower cholesterol levels

What health care professional increasingly look for….. Inflammatory status in the body…

Cholesterol in foods…. Egg250 mg/serving Crabs/Shrims150 mg Beef85 mg White chicken75 mg Fish40 mg All animal based food contain cholesterol All plant based foods contain no cholesterol

Cholesterol and Coronary Artery Disease Arteriosclerosis is the main cause of CAD. It is caused by plaques that clog arteries. Plaques are cholesterol deposits…. Q: What makes cholesterol form plaques? A: Inflammation Watch this inflammation and CAD some cheesy facts

Transporting Fats in the Blood Lipids are insoluble in the blood (=water) Lipids are transported in form of spherical vesicles called Lipoproteins. outside: phospholipid and protein monolayer inside: Cholesterol, Triglycerides in various proportions HDL, LDL…

Steroid Hormones A. Sex Hormones Estrogen: development of female sex. characteristics Testosterone: development of male sex. characteristics including muscle anabolism Progesterone: prepares uterus for fertilized egg

B. Corticosteroids Steroid Hormones produced by the adrenal glands

Corticosteroids Natural: Cortisone Drug: Prednisone Important maintenance hormone regulating inflammation, relaxation, repair, addtl. blood glucose regulation, feeling ok hormone….

Doping for Strength/Bodymass Anabolic Steroids: Synthetic Testosterone derivatives Promote muscle growth, reduce body fat

Anabolic Steroids Short term side effects: broken bones, ruptured tendons, kidney pain Long term use lead to kidney, heart, liver, testicle damage Tren and such

Another Classification of Lipids Distinction between saponifiable and non- saponifiable lipids Saponifiable Lipids : (esterbond) Triglycerides, Waxes, Phospholipids Non-saponifiable: Fatty Acids, Prostaglandins, Steroids,