glucocorticoids --> immune system & metabolism?

[SuperSaiyan3]

So glucocorticoids such as cortisol are know to be used for immunosuppressant activities to inhibit inflammation.

But it's also used to increase glycogen to glucose conversion?

How does it do both of these? That's kind of .. really random.

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[Charles_Carmichael]

So glucocorticoids such as cortisol are know to be used for immunosuppressant activities to inhibit inflammation.

But it's also used to increase glycogen to glucose conversion?

How does it do both of these? That's kind of .. really random.

Cortisol increases glucose (to increase blood glucose levels) and glycogen synthesis (to make sure there's an adequate reserve of glucose). So, both gluconeogenesis and glycogenesis are increased, although some glycogenolysis does occur in the liver. It acts unlike insulin, ie. cortisol is diabetogenic and lipolytic.

Glucocorticoids suppress the immune system in several ways. They lower the numbers of circulating lymphocytes, basophils, etc. They also suppress the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines by inhibiting the NF-kB pathway. One cytokine especially important that is suppressed is IL-2, which in turn means that there would be a decreased proliferation of T cells, etc. I highly doubt you'd need to know this level of detail. The only reason I know this stuff is due to upper-level physiology and immunology courses I've taken. Otherwise, I wouldn't bother knowing these details for the MCAT. Hope this helps.

 

[SuperSaiyan3]

it did. thank you.