ACTH 1-39
Adrenocorticotropic hormone (full)
The adrenal stimulator.
Half-life
~ minutes
Mol. weight
4541.1 g/mol
Sequence
SYSMEHFRWGKPVGKKRRPVKVYPNGAEDESAEAFPLEF
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Overview
The full-length adrenocorticotropic hormone (39 amino acids) that stimulates the adrenal cortex to synthesize and release cortisol and other corticosteroids. It sits at the center of the HPA (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal) stress axis and is used clinically to test adrenal responsiveness, with ACTH(4-7) being the fragment retained in cognitive peptides like Semax after stripping the adrenal-signaling portion.
Mechanism of action
ACTH 1-39 binds melanocortin-2 receptors (MC2R) on cells of the adrenal cortex, triggering the synthesis and release of cortisol, the body's primary glucocorticoid stress hormone, along with other corticosteroids. It is released by the pituitary in response to CRH from the hypothalamus — the final step of the HPA axis. Its potency in elevating cortisol is exactly why it's used diagnostically to confirm adrenal responsiveness and why it's treated cautiously in research contexts.
Researched benefits
- Stimulates natural cortisol production
- Used clinically to test adrenal responsiveness
- Central to stress-axis physiology research
Considerations
- Potent cortisol elevation with broad endocrine effects
- ACTH(4-7) cognitive fragment separated from adrenal signaling in Semax
- Strictly clinical/research context
Key Academic Literature & Studies
Search more in PubMedPeer-reviewed citations and clinical trials evaluating ACTH 1-39 in scientific literature.
Query PubMed for recent peer-reviewed preclinical and clinical publications on ACTH 1-39:
View ACTH 1-39 index on PubMed (NCBI)