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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2012 Dec 15.
Published in final edited form as: Front Neuroendocrinol. 2009 Jul;30(2):v–ix. doi: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2009.04.006

Fig. 1.

Fig. 1

Multiple neuroprotective mechanisms of steroids. Steroid brain concentrations depend of both their systemic levels and their local synthesis and metabolism. Steroids activate in the brain both steroid receptor dependent and steroid receptor independent mechanisms that involve the cell nucleus, the plasma membrane and the mitochondria. By these mechanisms, steroids regulate the transcription of genes involved in the control of neuronal survival, decrease excitotoxicity and exert anti-oxidant effects.