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Androgen Precursor Availability

Meaning

Androgen Precursor Availability denotes the circulating and stored quantity of steroid hormones that serve as immediate precursors for the synthesis of more potent androgens like testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT). These precursors, primarily dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and androstenedione, represent the foundational chemical inventory available to target tissues for local hormone production. Maintaining adequate precursor levels is essential for sustaining peripheral androgenic action, especially in non-gonadal tissues such as the skin, fat, and brain. The availability of these upstream compounds often dictates the potential for tissue-specific androgenic signaling, a concept known as intracrinology.