Peptide Hormones of the Anterior Pituitary

The gonadotropins are produced by the anterior pituitary (adenohypophysis) and the placenta. This group of glycoproteins (carbohydrate-containing proteins) includes the following hormones  

Lutropin (LH, luteinizing hormone, which in the male is called interstitial cell-stimulating hormone, ICSH) 

Therapeutically, gonadotropins are used to induce ovulation in infertile women. The antiestrogens clomiphene (5.37) and tamoxifen (5.38) are also used for this purpose since they counteract the ovulation-inhihitory effect of estrogens. Pregnancy tests depend on the presence of an increased hCG concentration in the urine after fertilization. 

Corticotropin (adrenocorticotropic hormone, ACTH) regulates the function of the adrenal cortex and has numerous other effects on metabolism. It contains 39 amino acids in the form of a random coil, owing to the presence of several proline residues that prevent helix formation. Species differences are seen in amino acids 25-39 the rest of the ACTH molecule is identical in all animals and humans. The first 24 amino acids are responsible for all of the biological action of ACTH synthetic human ACTHj 24 is known as cosyntropin. 

A direct effect on the adrenal cortex the regulation of steroid synthesis 

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