Description
Cortisol is a steroid hormone in the glucocorticoid class and is commonly referred to as a stress hormone. It functions to raise blood sugar levels through gluconeogenesis, suppress the immune system, and assist in calorie metabolism, while also reducing bone formation. Cortisol secretion has a circadian rhythm, usually peaking in the morning and decreasing at night. This rhythmicity may be related to the daily activity patterns of rabbits. Previous research has shown that cortisol significantly stimulates the synthesis and accumulation of lamellar body phosphatidylcholine in lung explants from both 21- and 28-day fetal rabbits