Hycort

Hydrocortisone, also known as cortisol, systematically named 11β,17α,21-trihydroxypregn-4-ene-3,20-dione, is a glucocorticoid steroid hormone with the molecular formula C₂₁H₃₀O₅, primarily secreted by the zona fasciculata of the adrenal cortex in response to adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) stimulation.[1][2] It exerts its effects by binding to intracellular glucocorticoid receptors, translocating to the nucleus, and modulating gene transcription to influence carbohydrate metabolism, suppress inflammation, and regulate immune function.[3] In pharmacology, hydrocortisone serves as a replacement therapy for adrenal insufficiency, such as in Addison's disease, where endogenous production is deficient, and as an anti-inflammatory agent for conditions including allergic reactions, arthritis, and dermatoses.[4][5] Isolated and characterized as Compound F by Edward C. Kendall in the 1930s amid efforts to elucidate adrenal hormones, hydrocortisone's therapeutic potential paralleled the dramatic remissions observed in rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with related corticosteroids, contributing to Kendall's shared 1950 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Philip S. Hench and Tadeusz Reichstein.[6] Despite its efficacy, chronic use carries risks of adverse effects including hyperglycemia, osteoporosis, and immunosuppression due to disruption of physiological feedback loops.[7]