ABSTRACT
Estrogens (e.g., 17β-estradiol) stimulate the development of the female reproductive system and the secondary sexual characteristics. Furthermore they play an important role in several metabolic processes (fat, sugar, protein) and consequently have anabolic properties. Androgens (e.g., testosterone) are the male hormones and have beside an inuence on the male reproductive system and secondary sexual characteristics (androgenic properties) an important anabolic effect. Progesterone is one of the most important gestagens and plays an important role during pregnancy. Gestagens are precursors of other steroids such as testosterone and the administration of such compounds can lead to increased testosterone levels, explaining there anabolic properties. Stilbenes (diethylstilboestrol, hexestrol, dienestrol) are nonsteroidal estrogenic compounds which are known to be carcinogenic. They own their estrogenic effect to the same spatial distance of the two OH groups as for estradiol.
