ACTH (1-39)

Medical Condition:
ACTH (1-39)

Pituitary hormone that stimulates the secretion of adrenal cortical steroids and induces growth of the adrenal cortex. It is also present in human female urine and in the serum of pregnant mares. The substance is a single-chain polypeptide containing 39 amino acids, the first 24 of which are identical in all species. This 24-amino acid segment is said to be responsible for the biological activity of the peptide while the remaining 15-amino acid segment is said to be necessary for any immunological specificity. (From Merck Index, 11th ed)