ADRENAL GLAND & ITS HORMONES,FUNCTIONS & PREPARATIONS

1. Kindness always succeed, no matter with whom
ADRENAL HORMONES
By
Mr.S.KAMESHWARAN.,M.Pharm.,(Ph.D).
Associate Professor, Excel College of Pharmacy
Komarapalayam, Namakkal, Tamilnadu, India

2. ADRENAL GLAND
Adrenal gland is also known as suprarenal glands
They are chiefly responsible for releasing of
hormones in response to stress through the
synthesis of corticosteroids such as cortisol and
catecholamines such as epinephrine (adrenaline)
and norepinephrine
Each adrenal gland has two distinct structures:
Outer adrenal cortex & The inner medulla, both
of which produce hormones.
The adrenal cortex is devoted to production of
corticosteroid and androgen hormones

4. Adrenal cortex contains three different layers:
ZONA GLOMERULOSA (OUTER)
 The outermost layer,
 It is the main site for production of aldosterone,
 It is a mineralocorticoid,
 Produced by the action of the enzyme aldosterone synthase.
ZONA FASCICULATA (MIDDLE)
 Situated between the glomerulosa and reticularis,
 It is responsible for producing glucocorticoids,
 Such as 11-deoxycorticosterone, corticosterone and cortisol.
ZONA RETICULARIS (INNER)
 The inner most cortical layer,
 It produces androgens, mainly dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA),
DHEA sulfate (DHEA-S), and androstenedione (the precursor to
testosterone).
All adrenocortical steroid hormones are synthesized from cholesterol.

5. MEDULLA:
The medulla chiefly produces epinephrine
and norepinephrine,
It is the core of the adrenal gland,
It is surrounded by the adrenal cortex.
It secretes approximately 20%
noradrenaline (norepinephrine) and 80%
adrenaline (epinephrine).

7. CORTICOSTEROIDS
Adrenal cortex secretes 2 steroidal hormones.
GLUCOCORTICOIDS
MINERALOCORTICOIDS
BIO SYNTESIS:
Corticoids - 21 carbon containing compounds,
Having cyclo pentano perhydro
phenanthrene nucleus,
Synthesized in the adrenal cortical cells
from cholesterol.

8. ACTIONS OF MINERALOCORTICOIDS:
The primary mineralocorticoid is aldosterone,
It is produced in the adrenocortical zona
glomerulosa by the action of the enzyme aldosterone
synthase
FUNCTIONS OF MINERALOCORTICOIDS:
♥ largely responsible for the long-term regulation of
blood pressure
♥ it causes increased reabsorption of sodium in distal
convoluted tubule and collecting duct of the kidney
and increases the excretion of both potassium and
hydrogen ions.
♥ Controls body’s water volume & concentration of
electrolytes.

9. GLUCOCORTICOIDS:
☻They are produced in the zona fasciculata
☻The primary glucocorticoid released by the
adrenal gland in the human is cortisol.
☻Its secretion is regulated by the hormone ACTH
from the anterior pituitary.
FUNCTIONS OF GLUCOCORTICOIDS
CARBOHYDRATE & GLUCOSE METABOLISM
FAT METABOLISM
CALCIUM METABOLISM
WATER EXCRETION
MAINTAIN MUSCLAR ACTIVITY
MAINTAIN MYOCARDIAL CONTRACTALITY
INCREASES GASTRIC ACID & PEPSIN
SECRETION

10. MECHANISM OF ACTION OF CORTICOSTEROIDS:
LIPID SOLUBLE CORTICOSTEROID DIFFUSE ACROSS THE
CELL MEMBRANE
↓
BINDS TO THE CYTOPLASMIC RECEPTOR
↓
STRUCTURAL CHANGE IN STEROID - RECEPTOR COMPLEX
↓
ACTIVATION OF STEROID - RECEPTOR COMPLEX
↓
MIGRATION OF NUCLEUS AND BINDS TO GLUCOCORTICOID
RESPONSE ELEMENT
↓
TRANSCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC mRNA
↓
REGULATION OF PROTEIN SYNTHESIS
↓
BIOLOGICAL EFFECT

12. PHARMACOKINETICS:
♣ All natural and synthetic corticoids
(MINERALO & GLUCOCORTICOIDS)
are absorbed orally,
♣ Hydrocortisone undergoes high first
pass metabolism,
♣ Its 90% bound to plasma protein
♣ Metabolized in liver by hydroxylation
and conjugation with glucaronic acid &
sulfate
♣ Excreted through urine

13. PREPARATIONS:
GLUCOCORTICOIDS:
HYDROCORTISONE (CORTISOL)
PREDNISOLONE
METHYL PREDNISOLONE
TRIAMCINOLONE
DEXAMETHASONE
BETAMETHASONE
MINERALOCORTICOIDS:
ALDOSTERONE
FLUDROCORTISONES
DESOXYCORTICOSTERONE ACETATE
(DOCA)

14. HYDROCORTISONE:
It has short duration of action, mainly has
glucocorticoid action.
In addition to that it also have little
mineralocorticoid action.
Used for
Replacement therapy – 20mg morning +
10mg after noon
Shock, Adrenal insufficiency – 100mg i.v
injection + 100mg 8 hourly i.v injection.
Topically & as suspension it is used in
eneme in ulcerative colitis

15. PREDNISOLONE:
4 times potent than hydrocortisone.
Has Selective glucocorticoid action
Intermediate duration of action.
Produce less side effects than other drugs
Used for:
 Allergy, Inflammation, Auto immune
disease & cancer at the dose of 5- 60mg
orally, 10-40mg i.m.
Also administered intraarticular and to
topical routes.

17. FLUDROCORTISONE:
 Potent mineralocorticoid
 Have some glucocorticoid action
 Active orally
 Used for replacement therapy in addisons
disease at the dose of 50- 200 micro gm
daily
addisons disease : (adrenal insufficiency)
Most people with primary Addison's have darkening
(hyperpigmentation) of the skin, including areas not
exposed to the sun;

18. addisons disease

19. ADR:
Sodium & water retention,
Edema,
Hypokalaemic alkalosis,(alkalosis is said to
occur when pH of the blood exceeds 7.45)
(may lead to muscular weakness, myalgia, and
muscle cramps and muscle spasms)
Increase in B.P,
Obesity,
Osteoporosis,
Ulcer.

20. USES:
Replacement therapy in
Acute adrenal insufficiency,
Chronic adrenal insufficiency (ADDISONS
DISEASE),
Arthritis,
Severe allergic reactions,
Auto immune disease,
Bronchial asthma,
Eye diseases,
Skin diseases,
Intestinal diseases,
Cerebral edema.

21. . . . THANK U ALL . . .