315 Virgin Olive Oil Benefits anti-inflammatory agents known), effects on blood cells (increasing red blood cells, etc.), and on immunity (acting as immunosuppressants). They also play a role in the intrauterine maturation of the lungs and other fetal organs, and in milk production during lactation. The main natural glucocorticoids are cortisol (the most active) and corticosterone (with around 50% of cortisol’s activity). There are also synthetic glucocorticoids (prednisone, prednisolone, dexamethasone, etc.) produced in the laboratory by modifying the structure of natural compounds. These synthetic forms are significantly more potent than the natural ones, for example, dexamethasone is about 30 times more active than cortisol. Although widely used in clinical practice, glucocorticoids can cause significant side effects. · corticosterone A naturally occurring glucocorticoid synthesised in the adrenal cortex. It is quantitatively the second most important glucocorticoid in humans after cortisol, while in other animal species it is the main one. Its effects are similar to those of cortisol, and it also serves as a precursor in the synthesis of aldosterone, the principal mineralocorticoid. · dexamethasone The main synthetic glucocorticoid, approximately 30 times more potent than cortisol and 4-5 times more potent than prednisone. It is primarily used as an anti-inflammatory medication. · prednisone A synthetic glucocorticoid commonly prescribed as an anti-inflammatory drug. It is a prodrug, as it is converted in the liver into its active form, prednisolone. · diethylstilbestrol Diethylstilbestrol (DES) is a synthetic form of the hormone oestrogen that was prescribed to pregnant women between 1940 and 1971, as it was believed to help prevent miscarriages. It was also used to treat prostate conditions. DES was later withdrawn because its use led to serious health effects in both the mothers who took it and their daughters. These included an increased risk of cancers such as uterine, ovarian, and breast cancer in the mothers, and vaginal or cervical cancer in daughters who were exposed to DES in utero (before birth). - nervous system The nervous system is a complex network of neurons and other associated cells responsible for receiving and processing all information from both inside the body and external environment, and for regulating the function of the various organs and systems in the body. It consists of the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and the peripheral nervous system (a network of neurons and nerve fibres -nerves- extending from the central nervous system to the rest of the body). As previously mentioned, the nervous system and the endocrine system work closely together to integrate, coordinate, and interconnect all other physiological systems.
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