Description
Introduction: Cortisol, also known as hydrocortisone, is a corticosteroid hormone or glucocorticoid produced by the zona fasciculata of the adrenal cortex, which is one of the two parts of the adrenal gland. It is released in response to stress, or to a low level of blood glucocorticoids. It is controlled by hypothalamic secretion of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), which in turn triggers pituitary secretion of Adrenal Corticotrophic Hormone (ACTH); ACTH is carried by the blood to the adrenal cortex where it triggers glucocorticoid secretion. Its primary functions are to increase blood sugar and stores of sugar in the liver as glycogen, aid in fat, protein and carbohydrate metabolism, and to suppress the immune system (and regulate lymphocytes). Various synthetic forms of cortisol are used to treat a variety of different illnesses.
Principle of the Assay: The microtiter plate provided in this kit has been pre-coated with an goat-anti-rabbit antibody. Standards or samples are then added to the appropriate microtiter plate wells with a HRP-conjugated Cortisol and antibody preparation specific for Cortisol and incubated. Then substrate solutions are added to each well. The enzyme-substrate reaction is terminated by the addition of a sulphuric acid solution and the color change is measured spectrophotometrically at a wavelength of 450 nm +/- 2 nm. The concentration of Cortisol in the samples is then determined by comparing the O.D. of the samples to the standard curve