Impact of Aging on Steroid Hormone Biosynthesis and Secretion

Steroid hormones are lipophilic, low-molecular weight organic compounds all of which are derived from cholesterol. They are primarily synthesized by steroidogenic glands such as gonads (ovary and testis), the adrenal gland and, during pregnancy, by the placental trophoblasts. Limited steroid synthesis also takes place in the brain. Steroid hormones are crucial for the proper functioning of the body. They mediate a wide variety of vital physiological functions, ranging from maintaining normal reproductive function and secondary sexual characteristics, to regulating virtually every metabolic process in the body. Like many age-related endocrine disorders, aging also progressively impacts the tissue-specific synthesis and secretion of steroid hormones. The goal of this review is to summarize the effects of aging on steroid hormone synthesis and secretion by the adrenal gland and gonads of both human and experimental animal models, to describe the potential involvement of excessive oxidative stress in mediating age-related alterations in steroidogenesis, and to discuss the possible underlying mechanisms involved.