ACTH: What Your Lab Value Means

What is ACTH? ACTH is produced in the pituitary gland and released into the blood. The hormone stimulates cells in the adrenal gland to produce glucocorticosteroids (cortisone). Hormones from the hypothalamus and adrenal gland regulate the level of ACTH concentration. It also fluctuates during the day: in the morning there is a lot of ACTH … ACTH: What Your Lab Value Means

Adenylyl Cyclases: Function & Diseases

Adenylyl cyclases belong to the lyases as a class of enzymes. Their function is to catalyze cyclic cAMP by cleaving P-O bonds from ATP. In doing so, they trigger a signaling cascade that is responsible for many different processes in the organism. What is an adenylyl cyclase? Adenylyl cyclases mediate effects of hormones or other … Adenylyl Cyclases: Function & Diseases

Mineralocorticoids: Function & Diseases

Mineralocorticoids are hormones that belong to the corticosteroids. The hormones play an important role in regulating blood pressure and sodium/potassium balance. What are mineralocorticoids? Mineralocorticoids are steroid hormones made by the adrenal gland. Steroid hormones are steroids with hormonal effects. Steroids belong to the lipid class of substances. Lipids are molecules that have lipophilic groups … Mineralocorticoids: Function & Diseases

Fat Loss: Function, Tasks, Role & Diseases

Fat breakdown, also called lipolysis, occurs mainly in fat cells (adipocytes). The most important function of lipolysis is energy production. However, there are interfering factors that inhibit fat breakdown. What is fat breakdown? Fat breakdown, also called lipolysis, occurs mainly in fat cells. The most important function of lipolysis is energy production. Fat breakdown in … Fat Loss: Function, Tasks, Role & Diseases

Cushings Disease: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

Cushing’s disease represents a condition in which the body experiences hypercortisolism, which is an overproduction of cortisol. This imbalance is caused by a pituitary adenoma (tumor of the pituitary gland), which in turn results in increased production and secretion of ACTH. What is Cushing’s disease? Named after the American neurologist Harvey Williams Cushing, Cushing’s disease … Cushings Disease: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

Corticosterone: Function & Diseases

Corticosterone is a steroid hormone produced in the adrenal cortex. Among other things, it serves to synthesize aldosterone. What is corticosterone? Just like cortisone, corticosterone belongs to the steroid hormones. Steroid hormones are hormones that are built from a steroidal backbone. This skeleton is derived from cholesterol. Cholesterol is an alcohol that belongs to the … Corticosterone: Function & Diseases

The Cushing Test

What is the Cushing’s test? Cushing’s syndrome is a common metabolic disorder associated with disorders and changes in the cortisone metabolism. Cortisone is a so-called “stress hormone” which is involved in many metabolic processes of various organs in the body. An excess of cortisone in the body can trigger Cushing’s syndrome, which can be accompanied … The Cushing Test

What are the results of the Cushing Test? | The Cushing Test

What are the results of the Cushing Test? In order for the Cushing’s test to be meaningful, the cortisone level in the blood must be determined the day before in the morning. The following morning, the level is determined again after taking dexamethasone the night before. The result of the test thus indicates whether there … What are the results of the Cushing Test? | The Cushing Test

Γ-Aminobutyric Acid: Function & Diseases

γ-Aminobutyric acid, also known as GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) for short, is a biogenic amine of glutamic acid. At the same time, GABA is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system (CNS). What is γ-aminobutyric acid? γ-Aminobutyric acid is a derivative of glutamic acid and an amine of butyric acid. Amines are organic derivatives … Γ-Aminobutyric Acid: Function & Diseases