[Membrane-associated steroid hormone receptors: functional significance of nongenomic action].

Steroids exert a wide variety of actions on various systems. These effects are mediated by slow genomic as well as rapid nongenomic mechanisms. Steroids bind to nuclear receptor in the nucleus for genomic actions, and also membrane-associated receptors which include nuclear receptor itself or GPCR(G protein-coupled receptor) followed by the activation of second messengers. Membrane-associated steroid receptors activate intracellular signaling cascades involved in nongenomic actions. This review describes molecular mechanisms on the estrogen, progesterone, androgen, glucocorticoid, and mineralocorticoid underlying a wide array of cellular effects of these steroids through genomic and nongenomic actions. Rapid nongenomic actions of steroids provide new insight for the understanding of steroid effects on the various system of the body.