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| Corticosterone | |
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| Identifiers | |
| CAS number | [50-22-6] |
| PubChem | |
| MeSH | |
| Properties | |
| Molecular formula | C21H30O4 |
| Molar mass | 346.461 |
| Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa) Infobox references |
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Corticosterone is a 21 carbon steroid hormone of the corticosteroid type produced in the cortex of the adrenal glands.
Functions
In many species, including rodents, corticosterone is the principal glucocorticoid, involved in regulation of fuel metabolism, immune reactions, and stress responses.
However, in humans, corticosterone is produced primarily in the zona fasciculata of the adrenal cortex. It has only weak glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid potencies in humans and is important mainly as an intermediate in the steroidogenic pathway from pregnenolone to aldosterone. Corticosterone is converted to aldosterone by aldosterone synthase, found only in the mitochondria of glomerulosa cells. Glomerulosa cells are found in the Zona glomerulosa, which is the most superficial region of endocrine cells in the adrenal cortex.
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Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 4 October 2008, at 13:27.
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