Cortisol (regulation of)

Cortisol is a corticosteroid hormone produced by the adrenal cortex (in the adrenal gland). In pharmacology, the synthetic form of cortisol is referred to as hydrocortisone, and is used to treat allergies and inflammation as well as cortisol production defficiencies.

It is a vital hormone that is often referred to as the "stress hormone" as it is involved in the response to stress. Cortisol levels can also increase after overdrive exercise or surgery. Its main function is to inhibit all unnecessary body functions during situations of stress warranting the maximum support to main organs.

Cortisol increasing or decreasing indicates excessive or insufficient acitvity of adrenals respectively.
The unbalance of cortisol levels can be due to other problems than adrenal disorders though. Indeed, cortisol increasing is normal during pregnancy or in women who take birth control pill. It can also be due to a cancer of the hypophysis, chronic renal insufficiency, hyperthyroidism, treatments with cortisone or oestrogen drugs, stress, smoke, methadone, alchohol, overdrive exercise, anorexy, malnutrition. While cortisol decreasing can be due to hepatitis, hypothyroidism, multiple myeloma, nephrotic symdrome.
Cushing symdrome and Addison's disease are pathologies linked to an impairment of the adrenals, that is to an excessive and an insufficiency production of cortisol respectively.
Cushing syndrome can be caused by:

• Adrenal tissue proliferation: it's linked to an excessive production of ACTH hormone by hypophysis, caused by either hypophysis impairment, cancer of the hypophisys, or non endocrine cancer (such as carcinoma of the lung).
• Adrenal's cancers: adenoma (benign) or carcinoma (malign)
• Drugs: long treatments and large dosage of cortisone or ACTH drugs

Addison's disease can be caused by:

• autoimmune aggression of adrenal (70% of the cases)
• granulomas produced by tubercolosis that destroy adrenal
• tumors or lymphoma
• fungi infections or HIV
• radiation
• surgery to brain
• adrenal's genetic hypoplasia (i.e. a congenital diseases that features adrenals incapacity to react to ACTH hormone produced by hypophysis)

CORTISOL

Main Actions:

controls sugars, fats, and proteins methabolism increases insulin increases cardiac output; therefore, it plays a role in blood pressure regulation decreases immune defenses, and therefore inflammatory reactions decreases collagen and bone matrix synthesis and speeds up osteoporosis

Pathologies:

Addison's disease (insufficiency of cortisol production): inability to react to any stressful situation asthenia, exhaustion, orthostatic hypotension anorexy and weight loss skin hyperpigmentation syncope and vertigo nervous disorders such as irritability, anxiety, apathy, and concentration problems abdominal pain with nausea, vomit, and diarrhea amenorrhea alopecia Cushing syndrome (excessive production of cortisol): round face, ofetn referres as “moon face” face redness weight gain at face and abdominal levels fat pads weight loss at limbs level purple or red striae on the trunk, buttocks, arms, legs or breasts muscle weakness, and strenght loss headache backache acne and seborrhea thirst and increased diuresis impotency menstrual impairment osteoporosis hypertension growth disorders in children thinning of the skin hirsutism hyperglycemia reduced libido

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