PubMed1975
Steroids inhibit the exchange transport of glucose in human erythrocytes. The extent of inhibition is roughly correlated to the affinity of the steroids to the membrane lipids. All C-21-steroids tested show a competitive inhibition while the C-19-steriods show different types of inhibition. 5Beta-androstane-3,17-dione acts as a competitive inhibitor. The inhibition by testosterone is of mixed type, while with androst-4-ene-3,17-dione and 5alpha-androstane-3,17-dione a non-competitive inhibition is observed. In this case two inhibitor molecules can be bound per transport molecule. The "non-competitive" inhibitors compete also to some extent with the glucose binding. This effect, however, is at high inhibitor concentrations masked by the more powerful non-competitive inhibition. Competitive and non-competitive inhibitors compete with each other. The structural requirements for the different types of inhibition are discussed.