Admin Table of Contents
What does ACTH stimulate?
ACTH is a hormone produced in the pituitary gland that stimulates the adrenal glands to release a hormone called cortisol.
Does ACTH stimulate the thyroid gland?
ACTH is also known as corticotrophin. Stimulates the thyroid gland to secrete its own hormone, which is called thyroxine.
Which gland or organ produces adrenocorticotropic hormone?
ACTH is a hormone made by the pituitary gland, a small gland at the base of the brain. ACTH controls the production of another hormone called cortisol. Cortisol is made by the adrenal glands, two small glands located above the kidneys.
Which gland or organ secretes growth hormone and adrenocorticotropic hormone?
Hormones and the Endocrine System
| Where the hormone is produced | Hormone(s) secreted |
|---|---|
| Pituitary gland | Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) |
| Pituitary gland | Growth hormone (GH) |
| Pituitary gland | Luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) |
| Pituitary gland | Oxytocin |
How does ACTH stimulate cortisol release?
ACTH travels to the adrenal glands via the bloodstream (arrow). Once adrenocorticotropic hormone reaches the adrenal glands, it binds on to receptors causing the adrenal glands to secrete more cortisol, resulting in higher levels of cortisol in the blood.
Does ACTH stimulate the adrenal medulla?
The hypothalamus produces corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) that stimulates the pituitary gland to secrete adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH). ACTH then stimulates the adrenal glands to make and release cortisol hormones into the blood.
Which part of the adrenal gland does ACTH act on?
adrenal cortex
ACTH acts on the adrenal cortex to release cortisol and androgens.
How does ACTH stimulate release of cortisol?
What causes high ACTH levels?
Other causes of high blood ACTH levels include nonpituitary tumors that produce ACTH. This form of Cushing’s syndrome is called the ectopic (occurring in an abnormal place) ACTH syndrome. Many of these tumors occur in the lungs or elsewhere in the chest.
What endocrine gland secretes ACTH?
The pituitary gland produces the hormone ACTH, which stimulates the outer layer of the adrenal gland (the adrenal cortex). ACTH causes the release of the hormones hydrocortisone (cortisol), aldosterone, and androgen. The most important of these hormones released is cortisol.
What causes high ACTH and normal cortisol?
Elevated cortisol levels can occur for reasons other than a pituitary tumor, including: Tumors of the adrenal glands producing cortisol Certain types of cancer, elsewhere in the body, can make ACTH, which then stimulates the normal adrenal glands to make excessive cortisol.
What does elevated ACTH mean?
An increased ACTH result can mean that a person has Cushing disease, Addison disease, overactive, tumor-forming endocrine glands (multiple endocrine neoplasia), or ectopic ACTH-producing tumors. A decreased ACTH result can be due to an adrenal tumor, steroid medication, or hypopituitarism.