Cortisone

An important steroid used in medicine is cortisone. Looking at the cortisone structure to the side, one can see that cortisone has six chiral centers. The IUPAC name for cortisone is actually " (8S,9S,10R,13S,14S,17R)-17-hydroxy-17-(2-hydroxyacetyl)-10,13-dimethyl-1,2,6,7,8,9,12,14,15,16-decahydrocyclopenta[a]phenanthrene-3,11-dione" (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth). The name also lists the stereochemistry. 

Cortisone is used for many different things, but most commonly as an anti-inflammatory steroid. It prevents the body from releasing the substances that cause inflammation. In addition to acting as an anti-inflammatory, cortisone can treat things like allergies and breathing disorders. It can even be used to treat lupus. Even though it is helpful in many ways, it is still a steroid and brings with it the same potential problems of steroids such as thinning skin and unbalanced hormone levels.


Sources:

1.Image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7c/Cortisone_structure.png/979px-Cortisone_structure.png

2. http://www.drugs.com/mtm/cortisone.html

3. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/138944/cortisone

4.Cortisone IUPAC name quote: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth

5. Image: http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/cortisone-molecular-structure-28102722.jpg