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The Stress HormoneMystery Hormone #5:Cortisol

What is cortisol?A steroid hormone part of the endocrine system

A glucocorticoidone of the three main groups of steroid hormones

What does cortisol do?HomeostasisHelps the body to manage stressFight or Flight ResponseContributes to the maintenance of constant blood pressureMetabolismConverts protein into glucose to boost blood sugar levelsWorks with insulin to maintain the balance of blood sugar levelsHealthReduces inflammationContributes to the workings of the immune system.

Pathway & Synthesis Too Much or Too Little?Hypersecretion of cortisolCushings Disease

Hyposecretion of cortisolAddisons DiseaseHypopituitarismAcute Adrenal CrisisCushings DiseaseWhat is it?Too much ACTH is produced due to a tumor in/on the pituitary gland or hyperplasia leading to an increase in the production of cortisol

SymptomsAppearanceWeight gain around the abdomen with skinny arms and legs, fat build up between shoulder bladesRound, red face, acne/Skin infectionPurple marks on body and easy bruisingWomen tend to have excess hair growth on their body (i.e. neck, face and chest)BodyBone pain, thinning of bonesWeak muscles, back acheMentalDepression, anxiety, fatigue

TreatmentSurgery to remove tumor on the pituitary gland or radiationHormone replacement therapy Cortisol hormone replacement either through injection or oral medicationAddisons DiseaseWhat is it?Damage to the adrenal cortex leads to a decrease in the production of cortisolDamage to the gland can be caused by infections, tumors, autoimmune diseases or haemorrhagingSymptomsPatches of darkening skin, palenessWeakness and fatigueDiarrhea, nausea, vomitingMouth lesions referred to as buccal mucosa

TreatmentPharmaceutical corticosteroids A combination of glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids

Acute Adrenal CrisisWhat is it?Similar to Addisons Disease, Acute Adrenal Crisis is caused by a combination of three factors:The adrenal glands are damagedACTH cannot be released due to a damaged pituitaryThe lack of steroid hormones is not treated

Symptoms Abdominal pain, headache, weakness/dizziness, fatigue, joint pain Nausea, vomiting, feverLoss of appetite, weight lossLow blood pressure, dehydration, excessive sweatingRapid heart rate and respiratory rateChills, slow movement, loss of consciousnessDarkening of skin, skin lesions or rash

TreatmentVery dangerous and life threateningImmediate injection of intravenous fluids and hydrocortisone

HypopituitarismWhat is it?In general, hypopituitarism is caused by a lack of one or more pituitary hormonesIn this case, hypopituitarism would be caused by a lack of ACTH leading to a decrease in the cortisol production

SymptomsAbdominal pain, headache, weakness, fatigueDecreased appetite, weight loss, low blood pressure Infertility, lack of sex drive in women, lack of sexual interest in men, failure to lactate, slowed growth and sexual development in children, stopping of menstrual periodsVision problems, sensitivity to cold, short heightLoss of body/facial hair in men and women

TreatmentHormone replacement therapyCorticosteroids, growth and thyroid hormones, sex hormones

RESULTSOf hormone experiments on normal and castrated mice Figure 1 The control mouse mass was 300 g, the normal experiment mouse yielded a body mass of 150 g, a decrease in mass by 50%. The mass of the testes in each mouse did not deviate from 3 200 mg. The only body parts that resulted in at least a 20% difference in mass were the: Pituitary (24% decrease), thymus (68.4% decrease) and the adrenals (25% decrease). The thyroid, seminal vesicles and the prostate decreased in mass slightly, but not significantly. Figure 2 The castrate control mouse had a mass of 270 g, the castrate mouse had a mass of 135 g, a decrease in mass by 50%. The only body parts that resulted in a difference in mass by at least 20% were the: Pituitary (24.8% decrease), thymus (70.2% decrease), and the adrenals (27.5% decrease). The thyroid, seminal vesicles and the prostate decreased in mass slightly, but not significantly.Future ResearchEffects of cortisol on the handling of emotional information and any possible neural correlations.

Monitoring the effects of continuous stress by the same event.

Diagnosis of diseases causing increased cortisol levels (i.e., Cushings Disease) by measuring cortisol and dexamethasone (synthetic glucocorticoid, acts like cortisol) levels concurrently.20ReferencesHormones - cortisol | Better Health Channel [online]. 2013. Available from http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Hormones_cortisone [accessed March 3 2013].

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Li, L., Xia, D., Wei, S., Hartung, J., and Zhao, R. 2008. Characterization of adrenal ACTH signaling pathway and steroidogenic enzymes in Erhualian and Pietrain pigs with different plasma cortisol levels. Steroids. 73(8): 806-814.

Moyes, C. D., Schulte, P. M. 2008. Principles of Animal Phhysiology 2nd Ed.Pearson Education Inc. (Benjamin Cummings), San Francisco, C.A.

Putman, P. and Roelofs, K. 2011. Effects of single cortisol administrations on human affect reviewed: Coping with stress through adaptive regulation of automatic cognitive processing. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 36(4): 439-448.

Ray, J.A., Kushnir, M.M., Rockwood, A.L., and Meikle, A.W. 2011. Analysis of cortisol, cortisone and dexamethasone in human serum using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry and assessment of cortisol: Cortisone ratios in patients with impaired kidney function. Clinica Chimica Acta. 412(1314): 1221-1228.

Rennert, N. J., Zieve, D. 2013. Cortisol Level: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia [online]. Available from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003693.htm [accessed March 3 2013].