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Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH; also adrenocorticotropin, corticotropin) is a polypeptide tropic hormone produced by and secreted by the anterior pituitary gland. [1] It is also used as a medication and diagnostic agent .
Its main function is the stimulation of the pituitary synthesis of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), as part of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis (HPA axis). Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) is a 41-amino acid peptide derived from a 196-amino acid preprohormone.
Corticotropic cells, (corticotropes or corticotrophs) are basophilic cells in the anterior pituitary that produce pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) which undergoes cleavage to adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), β-lipotropin (β-LPH), and melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH).
In humans and other animals, the adrenocortical hormones are hormones produced by the adrenal cortex, the outer region of the adrenal gland.These polycyclic steroid hormones have a variety of roles that are crucial for the body's response to stress (for example, the fight-or-flight response), and they also regulate other functions in the body.
Urine-based pregnancy tests detect hCG in the urine, while blood-based pregnancy tests measure the level of hCG in the blood. [5] The presence of hCG in a woman's body indicates that a fertilized egg has implanted in the uterus and the placenta has started to form. 10 days after fertilization, significant hCG can be detected from woman's blood ...
Adrenocorticotropic hormone deficiency is characterized by nonspecific symptoms such as fatigue, anorexia, unintentional weight loss, and hypoglycemia. Pale skin may contribute to patients' diminished appearance and aid in differentiating between primary and secondary adrenal insufficiency.
Pigmentation increases in humans during pregnancy; though the exact endocrine cause is not known, α- and β-melanocyte-stimulating hormone are thought to be involved. [7] Cushing's disease due to excess adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) may also result in hyperpigmentation, such as acanthosis nigricans in the axilla.
As the fetal hypothalamus matures, activation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis initiates labor through two hormonal mechanisms. The end pathway of both mechanisms lead to contractions in the myometrium, a mechanical cause of placental separation, which is due to the sheer force and contractile and involutive changes that occur within the uterus, distorting the placentome.