Aside from their principal physiological effects, all steroid hormones have generalized influences on metabolic systems throughout the body. These are sometimes seen as powerful pharmacological side effects when, either during hormone therapy or through some endocrine abnormality, the body is exposed to excessive amounts of a naturally occurring steroid hormone. In some synthetic analogs of the natural hormones, a desired activity is accentuated, whereas others are minimized. Furthermore, just as naturally occurring steroid hormones of differing biological activity (estrogens, androgens, glucocorticoids, and mineralocorticoids) often act antagonistically, the many steroid analogs include a number of inhibitors of the natural hormones. A ...(100 of 7003 words)