Question

A patient has a disease that destroys cells that secrete cortisol. Which of the following would you expect to find?

Decreased CRH and decreased ACTH
Decreased CRH and increased ACTH
Increased CRH and decreased ACTH
Increased CRH and increased ACTH

Answer 1

When cells that secrete cortisol are destroyed, increased levels of CRH and ACTH can be expected.

Step-by-step explanation:

The destruction of cells that secrete cortisol would result in decreased cortisol levels. Cortisol secretion is regulated by the release of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) from the anterior pituitary, which is in turn stimulated by corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) from the hypothalamus. When cortisol levels are low, the hypothalamus releases more CRH, which stimulates the pituitary gland to produce and release more ACTH. However, in this case, the cells that secrete cortisol are destroyed, leading to a lack of negative feedback mechanism. As a result, we would expect to find increased levels of CRH and increased levels of ACTH.