What is Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)?

The apex of the HPA stress axis. Structurally it is Hypothalamic releasing peptide (41 aa).

How strong is the evidence for CRH?

PeptideHormone grades CRH at the "Established" evidence tier — its mechanism and core effects are settled across the peer-reviewed literature. It is catalogued as an endogenous signal the body produces itself, and the tier is an editorial judgment about the public literature that can change as the science does.

What is the half-life of CRH?

The reported circulating half-life of CRH is ~minutes (biphasic clearance).

Corticotropin-releasing hormoneCRH

The apex of the HPA stress axis.

EndogenousEstablished

The opening word of the stress response — an alarm routed through three relays, each one a chance to modulate it.

Identity

Class: Hypothalamic releasing peptide (41 aa)
Source: Hypothalamus (paraventricular nucleus)
Receptor: CRH receptors CRHR1 and CRHR2

Key properties

Evidence floorClinicalREF1CLIN1

Molecular weight

~4,757.5 Da

REF

Half-life (native)

~minutes (biphasic clearance)

CLIN

Model dosing

Approximate values for the native hormone; engineered analogs are often deliberately larger and far longer-acting. Each figure carries its own provenance tier, and the floor is the weakest of them - the Standard.

Mechanism

CRH from the hypothalamus drives pituitary release of ACTH, which in turn stimulates adrenal cortisol — making CRH the top of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) stress axis. Cortisol feeds back to restrain CRH and ACTH.

Reference notes

CRH sits one step above ACTH in the HPA cascade.
Glucocorticoid negative feedback closes the loop on CRH output.
It links neural stress signals to systemic endocrine responses.

Common questions

What is Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)?: The apex of the HPA stress axis. Structurally it is Hypothalamic releasing peptide (41 aa).
How does CRH work?: CRH from the hypothalamus drives pituitary release of ACTH, which in turn stimulates adrenal cortisol — making CRH the top of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) stress axis. Cortisol feeds back to restrain CRH and ACTH.
How strong is the evidence for CRH?: PeptideHormone grades CRH at the "Established" evidence tier — its mechanism and core effects are settled across the peer-reviewed literature. It is catalogued as an endogenous signal the body produces itself, and the tier is an editorial judgment about the public literature that can change as the science does.
What is the half-life of CRH?: The reported circulating half-life of CRH is ~minutes (biphasic clearance).

Selected literature

Curated peer-reviewed reviews, sourced from PubMed. Selected for relevance, not exhaustive — open any entry on PubMed for the full record and its primary citations.

1.Corticotropin-releasing hormone · The New England journal of medicine, 1988 · PMID 3292914
2.The Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis: A Brief History · Hormone research in paediatrics, 2018 · PMID 29719288

External references

CRH in the public knowledge graph — the same entity resolved across the authoritative chemistry and protein databases.