Q. What are the hormones secreted by the adrenal cortex? What are their respective functions?

The cortical portion of the adrenals secretes hormones of the corticoid (or corticosteroid) group derived from cholesterol: mineralocorticoids, glucocorticoid and cortical sex hormones.

The glucocorticoids are cortisone and cortisol. The glucocorticoids stimulate the formation of glucose from the degradation of proteins of the muscle tissue (gluconeogenesis) and so they help to increase glycemia. These hormones play an important immunosuppressant role that is they reduce the action of the immune system and for this reason they are used as medicine to treat autoimmune and inflammatory rejection and diseases of transplanted organs.

The aldosterone, deoxycorticosterone and mineralocorticoids regulate the potassium and sodium blood concentration and thus they control the water level of the extracellular space. Aldosterone increases the sodium resorption and thus the water resorption in the renal tubules and it also stimulates the renal excretion of hydrogen and potassium.

The adrenal cortical sex hormones are androgens, male sex hormones present in women and men. In men their main site of production is the testicle and they promote the appearance of secondary male sex characteristics, like beard and body hair, deep voice, maturation of the genitalia and the male pattern of fat distribution. If abnormally high in women they cause disturbances of the menstrual cycle and inhibited maturation of the female genitalia.