Cortisone
biologically inactive metabolite produced in the liver by the action of the enzyme 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase from cortisol
Cortisone is a naturally occurring, mostly inactive pregnene (21-carbon) steroid hormone. In the body, cortisone is produced as part of the cortisol–cortisone shunt, which protects vulnerable organs like the kidneys from cortisol. These organs produce the enzyme 11β-HSD2 which locally converts cortisol into inactive cortisone. Cortisone is later converted back into the active steroid cortisol by the enzyme 11β-HSD1, particularly in the liver, which maintains blood cortisol levels. Without the reaction converting cortisol into cortisone, cortisol binds with the mineralocorticoid receptors of the kidney, causing hypertension along with the other symptoms of apparent mineralocorticoid excess syndrome. Because it gets converted into cortisol by the body, it is sometimes used as a pharmaceutical prodrug as an alternative to directly taking cortisol.
The term "cortisone" is frequently misused to mean either any corticosteroid or hydrocortisone, which is in fact cortisol. Many who speak of receiving a "cortisone shot" or taking "cortisone" are more likely receiving hydrocortisone or one of many other, much more potent synthetic corticosteroids.
Cortisone can be administered as a prodrug, meaning it has to be converted by the body (specifically the liver, converting it into cortisol) after administration to be effective. It is used to treat a variety of ailments and can be administered intravenously, orally, intra-articularly (into a joint), or transcutaneously.
The public source identifies “Cortisone” as biologically inactive metabolite produced in the liver by the action of the enzyme 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase from cortisol. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Cortisone, biologically and inactive.
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The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 13, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q423185. The Library of Congress control number is sh85033100. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
The absence of detail may reflect summary conventions rather than a lack of surviving documentation. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
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This entry incorporates text from “Cortisone” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.