Editing Corticotropic cell (section)

{{Short description|Basophilic cell in anterior pituitary that produces pro-opiomelanocortin}}
{{Infobox cell
| Name        = Corticotropic cell
| Latin       =
| Image       =
| Caption     =
| Image2      =
| Caption2    =
| Precursor   =
| System      =
| Location = [[Anterior pituitary]]
| Function = Production of [[melanocyte-stimulating hormone]], [[adrenocorticotropic hormone]] (ACTH) and [[lipotropin]]
}}
'''Corticotropic cells''', ('''corticotropes''' or '''corticotrophs''') are [[basophilic]] [[cell (biology)|cells]] in the [[anterior pituitary]] that produce [[pro-opiomelanocortin]] (POMC) which undergoes cleavage to [[Adrenocorticotropic hormone|adrenocorticotropin]] (ACTH), [[Lipotropin|β-lipotropin]] (β-LPH), and [[melanocyte-stimulating hormone]] (MSH). These cells are stimulated by [[corticotropin releasing hormone]] (CRH) and make up 15–20% of the cells in the anterior pituitary.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Yeung CM, Chan CB, Leung PS, Cheng CH | title = Cells of the anterior pituitary | journal = The International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology | volume = 38 | issue = 9 | pages = 1441–9 | year = 2006 | pmid = 16621669 | doi = 10.1016/j.biocel.2006.02.012 }}</ref> The release of ACTH from the corticotropic cells is controlled by CRH, which is formed in the cell bodies of [[parvocellular neurosecretory cell]]s within the [[Paraventricular nucleus of hypothalamus|paraventricular nucleus]] of the [[hypothalamus]] and passes to the corticotropes in the anterior pituitary via the [[hypophyseal portal system]]. Adrenocorticotropin hormone stimulates the [[adrenal cortex]] to release [[glucocorticoid]]s and plays an important role in the [[Stress (biology)|stress]] response.<ref>{{Cite book | first1 = Laurence A | last1 = Cole | first2 = Peter R | last2 = Kramer | name-list-style = vanc |title=Human physiology, biochemistry and basic medicine |year= 2016 |isbn=9780128037171|location=Amsterdam|pages=69–77|oclc=924207881}}</ref>