Wiktionary
n. A steroid hormone produced in the adrenal glands and the gonads, chemical formula C19H26O2; the common precursor to both male and female sex hormones.
Wikipedia
Androstenedione may refer to:
- Δ-Androstenedione, a weak androgen and an intermediate in the biosynthesis of testosterone from DHEA. Sometimes referred to as "Andro" it was banned by the IOC in 1997 as a "performance-enhancement" drug.
- Δ-Androstenedione, a prodrug of testosterone and hence an androgen/anabolic steroid
- Δ-Androstenedione, a prodrug of Δ-testosterone and hence an androgen/anabolic steroid
Usage examples of "androstenedione".
Most of the estrone and estradiol the body produces is quickly converted to estriol, but just to keep things interesting, some estriol can be produced from DHEA or androstenedione without involving estrone or estradiol at all!
Produced from cholesterol by way of pregnenolone, DHEA is an androgen that is metabolized to form androstenedione, which begets testosterone which begets estradiol and then estrone, and finally, estriol.
It stands to reason that reduced DHEA levels can translate into reductions of these other hormones, particularly the other androgens, androstenedione and testosterone.