Tetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone (THDOC) is a neuroactive steroid. Neurosteroids represent a class of endogenous steroids that are synthesized in the brain, the adrenals, and the gonads. It potentiates synaptic GABAA-receptor function. THDOC is extremely potent positive allosteric modulators of GABAA receptors with sedative, anxiolytic, and anticonvulsant properties. THDOC can regulate gene expression via the progesterone receptor. The induction of DNA-binding and transcriptional activation of the progesterone receptor requires intracellular oxidation of the neurosteroids into progesterone receptor-active 5 alpha-pregnane steroid. THDOC is involved in the pathophysiology of premenstrual syndrome, catamenial epilepsy, major depression, and stress-sensitive brain disorders.

Bufalin is a traditional oriental medicines, originally isolated from the Chinese toad venom. Bufalin is a cardiotonic steroid that has the potential to induce differentiation and apoptosis of tumor cells. Research on bufalin has so far mainly involved leukemia, prostate cancer, gastric cancer and liver cancer, and has been confined to in vitro studies. The bufadienolides bufalin and cinobufagin have been shown to induce apoptosis in a wide spectrum of cancer cell. Bufalin has being shown to be a potent small-molecule inhibitor of the steroid receptor coactivators SRC-3 and SRC-1. Bufalin is a component of Huachansu, a Chinese medicine that comes from dried toad venom from the skin glands of Bufo bufo gargarizans Cantor or B.melanotictus Schneider, has been used in the treatment of various cancers in China.