
This pattern is also reflected in the production of adrenocorticotropic hormone, aldosterone, and cortisol.Ĭortisol – stress hormone. In healthy individuals, the secretion of corticotropin-releasing factor in the hypothalamus exhibits a diurnal pattern, reaching its lowest levels late at night (around midnight) and rising to a peak in early morning hours before awakening. High levels of aldosterone and cortisol induce a negative feedback effect on the hypothalamus and anterior pituitary, which suppresses production and secretion of the adrenocorticotropic hormone.Ĭortisol is secreted in “spurts” by the adrenal cortex.īesides to this way of the regulation, unlike cortisone, the production of aldosterone is mainly controlled by shifts in blood pressure and the production of angiotensin in the kidney. The synthesis of adrenocorticotropic hormone, in turn, is managed by a peptide substance - corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) - synthesized by the hypothalamus. The adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH, a polypeptide) of the pituitary gland controls the synthesis of cortisol and aldosterone.

A regulation of cortisol and aldosterone levels (a negative feedback loop) The glucocorticoid and the mineralocorticoid hormones add to the long-term stimulation of the immune system when the body is under stress. The primary mineralocorticoid - aldosterone takes part in control of salt and water balance, which in turn affects blood pressure.

The second type - the mineralocorticoids:

The primary glucocorticoid – cortisol stimulates the production of carbohydrates and related metabolic functions.

The adrenal cortex responsible for the production of three types of steroid hormones.
