Hydrocortisone-d4 (Synonyms: Cortisol-d4)

Hydrocortisone-d₄ is intended for use as an internal standard for the quantification of hydrocortisone/cortisol by GC- or LC-MS. Cortisol, known as hydrocortisone when used as a therapeutic, is a glucocorticoid produced by the adrenal cortex in response to adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH).^1,2 It is an agonist at the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) and the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), with an approximately 6- to 10-fold greater affinity for MR. Cortisol production is increased during periods of stress, and it is a major effector molecule in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) stress response.² Cortisol levels increase with age and are often elevated in major depressive disorder, certain forms of hypertension, and Parkinson's disease.^3,4,5

1.Krieger, D.T.Rhythms of ACTH and corticosteroid secretion in health and disease, and their experimental modificationJ. Steroid Biochem.6(5)785-791(1975) 2.Dunlop, B.W., and Wong, A.The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in PTSD: Pathophysiology and treatment interventionsProg. Neuropsychopharmacol. Biol. Psychiatry89361-379(2019) 3.Quinkler, M., and Stewart, P.M.Hypertension and the cortisol-cortisone shuttleJ. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab.88(6)2384-2392(2003) 4.Varghese, F.P., and Brown, E.S.The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in major depressive disorder: A brief primer for primary care physiciansPrim. Care Companion J. Clin. Psychiatry3(4)151-155(2001) 5.Soares, N.M., Pereira, G.M., Altmann, V., et al.Cortisol levels, motor, cognitive and behavioral symptoms in Parkinson's disease: A systematic reviewJ. Neural Transm. (Vienna)(2018)