Definition

1. Noun:
   • A hormone produced by the anterior pituitary gland that stimulates the adrenal cortex: Corticotrophin is a peptide hormone secreted by the front part of the pituitary gland. Its primary function is to stimulate the adrenal cortex (the outer layer of the adrenal glands) to produce and release its own hormones, particularly cortisol.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The doctor measured the patient's corticotrophin levels to assess pituitary function.
  • A tumor can cause an overproduction of corticotrophin, leading to Cushing's disease.
  • The release of corticotrophin is regulated by the hypothalamus.

Advanced Usage

• "Corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH)": This is the hormone from the hypothalamus that triggers the pituitary gland to secrete corticotrophin.
  • Stress increases the secretion of corticotrophin-releasing hormone.
• In medical contexts, corticotrophin levels are a key diagnostic marker.
  • The corticotrophin stimulation test checks how the adrenal glands respond.

Variants and Related Words

• Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH): This is the full scientific name and a direct synonym for corticotrophin.
• Corticotropin: An alternative spelling of the same word.
• Adrenal cortex: The part of the adrenal gland that corticotrophin acts upon.
• Anterior pituitary: The gland that produces corticotrophin.

Synonyms

• Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH): The full technical term.
• Adrenocorticotrophin: Another variant of the full name.

Related Phrases

• ACTH stimulation test: A medical test that uses synthetic corticotrophin to evaluate adrenal gland function.
  • The patient underwent an ACTH stimulation test.

Noun

1. a hormone produced by the anterior pituitary gland that stimulates the adrenal cortex