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Cortisone cream

Cortisone is a steroid hormone. Chemically, it is a corticosteroid closely related to corticosterone. Corticosteroids (or corticoids) are any steroids (lipids that contain a hydrogenated cyclopentoperhydrophenanthrene ring system) elaborated by the adrenal cortex (except sex hormones of adrenal origin) in response to the release of adrenocorticotrophin or adrenocorticotropic hormone by the pituitary gland, or to any synthetic equivalent, or to angiotensin II. Topical corticosteroids are useful for their anti-inflammatory, anti-pruritic and vasoconstrictive actions. Corticosteroids, particularly in the form of ester compounds, are used, inter alia, in the treatment of skin diseases in humans, such as, for example, eczema, infantile eczema, atopic dermatitis, dermatitis herpetiformis, contact dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis, neurodermatitis, psoriasis and intertrigo. Topical corticosteroid formulations are extensively employed in the treatment of skin disorders, such as dermatitis. To be therapeutically effective, the active ingredient should be in a molecular dispersion to facilitate desired percutaneous absorption which is particularly important in achieving a therapeutic response for the management of psoriasis. Corticosteroids include alclometasone dipropionate, amcinonide, amcinafel, amcinafide, beclamethasone, betamethasone, betamethasone dipropionate, betamethasone valerate, clobetasone propionate, chloroprednisone, clocortelone, cortisol, cortisone, cortodoxone, difluorosone diacetate, descinolone, desonide, defluprednate, dihydroxycortisone, desoximetasone, dexamethasone, deflazacort, diflorasone diacetate, dichlorisone, esters of betamethasone, flucetonide, flucloronide, fluorocortisone, flumethasone, flunisolide, fluocinonide, fluocinolone acetonide, flucortolone, fluperolone, fluprednisolone, fluroandrenolone acetonide, fluocinolone acetonide, flurandrenolide, fluorametholone, fluticasone propionate, hydrocortisone, hydrocortisone butyrate, hydrocortisone valerate, hydrocortamate, medrysone, meprednisone, methylprednisone, methylprednisolone, mometasone furoate, paramethasone, prednisone, prednisolone, prednidone, triamcinolone acetonide, and triamcinolone. Corticosteroids are synthesized in the adrenal cortex and include the glucocorticoids (e.g. corticosteroids), the mineralocorticoids (e.g aldosterone) as well as weak androgens and estrogens. The adrenal function, like that of the thyroid gland, is under the control of the hypothalamus (HPT) and the pituitary (PIT). When corticosteroids (the naturally-occurring glucocorticoid) levels drop below a setpoint, the hypothalamus releases CRH (corticotropin releasing hormone) which stimulates adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) release from the pituitary. ACTH is a tropic hormone which stimulates the synthesis and secretion of corticosteroid (it has minimal effects on aldosterone synthesis/secretion), and the growth of the adrenal gland. Cortisone is one of several end products of a process called steroidogenesis. This process starts with cholesterol which then goes through a series of reactions in the adrenal gland to produce a variety of steroid hormones. One end product of this pathway is cortisol, which is then released from the adrenal gland by ACTH signaling from the anterior pituitary, which is stimulated by corticotropin-releasing hormone from the hypothalamus in the brain. In the peripheral tissues cortisol is converted to cortisone by 11-beta-steroid dehydrogenase.

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