Hyperfunction of the adrenal cortex

Thomas Addison first reported on hypofunction of the adrenal cortex in 1855. However, it has only been in the last 60 years that many of the disease states that are associated with abnormal adrenal function have been discovered and studied. In general, diseases of this organ are classified as resulting from either hypofunction or hyperfunction of the adrenal cortex. 

Hyperfunction of the adrenal cortex produces clinical syndromes of glucocorticoid excess, mineraiocorticoid excess, and androgen excess... 

Hyperfunction of the adrenal cortex can be conveniently discussed in terms of the overproduction of the three main products ... 

Steroid hormones (Section 21.8) are produced by the adrenal cortex and the gonads (testes in males, ovaries in females). The adrenocortical hormones include glucocorticoids, which affect carbohydrate metabolism, modulate inflammatory reactions, and are involved in reactions to stress. The mineralocorticoids control the level of excretion of water and salt by the kidneys. If the adrenal cortex does not function adequately, one result is Addison s disease, characterized by hypoglycemia, weakness, and increased susceptibility to stress. This disease is eventually fatal unless it is treated by administration of mineralocorticoids and glucocorticoids to make up for what is missing. The opposite condition, hyperfunction of the adrenal cortex, is frequently caused by a tumor of the adrenal cortex or of the... 

The amount of salt excreted by the kidney is dependent on the amount ingested in the absence of significant sweating. When the diet is very low in salt, almost no sodium or chloride is excreted, owing to the efficient regulatory mechanism controlling reabsorption by the renal tubules. This activity is controlled in part by adrenal cortical hormones. In adrenal insufficiency, large amounts of salt are lost in the urine many of the features of Addison s disease are attributable to salt depletion. In hyperfunction of the adrenal cortex, salt is retained and there is an associated retention of water. 

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