Cosyntropin

Description

Cosyntropin, also known as Cortrosyn, is a synthetic derivative of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) used in the evaluation and diagnosis of patients with adrenocortical insufficiency. It is a man-made portion of a natural substance produced by the body, ACTH, and is available in generic form.

Chemical Properties

White or yellow, amorphous powder.

Uses

Cosyntropin is administered via intramuscular injection or direct intravenous injection as part of a medical test called an ACTH stimulation test. This test assesses adrenal gland function by measuring the adrenal response to ACTH stimulation. Additionally, cosyntropin may be given as an intravenous infusion over several hours to provide a more robust stimulus to the adrenal glands.

As a synthetic peptide consisting of the first 24 amino acids of corticotropin, cosyntropin offers advantages over naturally occurring hormone in terms of longer duration of action and lacking the antigenic portion of corticotropin. While the short cosyntropin test is a recognized screening test for assessing adrenocortical insufficiency, other tests such as the overnight metyrapone test or insulin hypoglycemia test may be more sensitive in certain cases.