Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 1, 2026

Design of Cecal Ligation and Puncture and Intranasal Infection Dual Model of Sepsis-Induced Immunosuppression
Published on: June 15, 2019
Glucocorticoids in sepsis: dissecting facts from fiction
1Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Eastern Virginia Medical School, 825 Fairfax Ave, Suite 410, Norfolk, VA 23507, USA. marikpe@evms.edu
Abstract:
An intact hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis with effective intracellular glucocorticoid anti-inflammatory activity is essential for host survival following exposure to an infectious agent. Glucocorticoids play a major role in regulating the activity of nuclear factor-kappa- B, which has a crucial and generalized role in inducing cytokine gene transcription after exposure to an invading pathogen. Severe sepsis is, however, associated with complex alterations of the HPA axis, which may result in decreased production of cortisol as well as glucocorticoid tissue resistance.
Related Concept Videos
Acute Inflammation III: Local and Systemic Effects
Drugs for Treatment of Crohn's Disease in IBD Using Glucocorticoids
Cushing Syndrome II: Pathophysiology
Antiasthma Drugs: Inhaled Corticosteroids and Glucocorticoids
ICS work through a multifaceted mechanism of action. They suppress the inflammatory response caused by the proliferation of TH cells. They also reduce the transcription of the IL-2 gene, which is involved in the...
Hypoglycemia and Glucagon
Cushing Syndrome I: Introduction

