PeptideHormone

Corticotropin-releasing hormoneCRH

The apex of the HPA stress axis.

EndogenousEstablished

Identity

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

Key properties

Molecular weight
~4,757.5 Da
Half-life (native)
~minutes (biphasic clearance)
Model dosing

Approximate values for the native hormone. Engineered analogs are often deliberately larger and far longer-acting.

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.

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