The half-life of ACTH in human blood is reported to be between ten and 30 minutes. The latter is an example of a slow feedback loop, which works on the order of hours to days, whereas the former works on the order of minutes. Glucocorticoids may also inhibit the rates of POMC gene transcription and peptide synthesis. Glucocorticoids secreted from the adrenal cortex work to inhibit CRH secretion by the hypothalamus, which in turn decreases anterior pituitary secretion of ACTH. In order to regulate the secretion of ACTH, many substances secreted within this axis exhibit slow/intermediate and fast feedback-loop activity. These fragments include: polypeptide fragment The removal of the signal peptide during translation produces the 241-amino acid polypeptide POMC, which undergoes a series of post-translational modifications such as phosphorylation and glycosylation before it is proteolytically cleaved by endopeptidases to yield various polypeptide fragments with varying physiological activity.

ACTH is synthesized from pre-pro-opiomelanocortin (pre-POMC). POMC, ACTH and β-lipotropin are secreted from corticotropic cells in the anterior lobe (or adenohypophysis) of the pituitary gland in response to the hormone corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) released by the hypothalamus. In Cushing's disease a pituitary tumor is the cause of elevated ACTH (from the anterior pituitary) and an excess of cortisol (hypercortisolism) – this constellation of signs and symptoms is known as Cushing's syndrome. Addison's disease) when adrenal gland production of cortisol is chronically deficient. Conversely, chronically elevated ACTH levels occur in primary adrenal insufficiency (e.g.

hypopituitarism) or tertiary adrenal insufficiency (disease of the hypothalamus, with a decrease in the release of corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH)). ĭeficiency of ACTH is an indicator of secondary adrenal insufficiency (suppressed production of ACTH due to an impairment of the pituitary gland or hypothalamus, cf. ACTH is also related to the circadian rhythm in many organisms.

Its principal effects are increased production and release of cortisol and androgens by the cortex and medulla of the adrenal gland, respectively. ACTH is an important component of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and is often produced in response to biological stress (along with its precursor corticotropin-releasing hormone from the hypothalamus). It is also used as a medication and diagnostic agent. Adrenocorticotropic hormone ( ACTH also adrenocorticotropin, corticotropin) is a polypeptide tropic hormone produced by and secreted by the anterior pituitary gland.

Secrete adrenaline