, ▁thus , ▁considered ▁the ▁true ▁rate - lim iting ▁step ▁in ▁ster oid ▁production . ▁ ▁This ▁step ▁is ▁medi ated ▁primarily ▁by ▁the ▁ster oid ogen ic ▁ac ute ▁regul atory ▁protein ▁( St AR ▁or ▁ST ARD 1 ). ▁Upon ▁stim ulation ▁of ▁a ▁cell ▁to ▁make ▁ster oid , ▁the ▁amount ▁of ▁St AR ▁available ▁to ▁transfer ▁ch ol ester ol ▁to ▁the ▁inner ▁memb rane ▁limits ▁how ▁fast ▁the ▁reaction ▁can ▁go ▁( the ▁ac ute ▁phase ). ▁ ▁With ▁prolong ed ▁( chron ic ) ▁stim ulation , ▁it ▁is ▁thought ▁that ▁ch ol ester ol ▁supply ▁becomes ▁no ▁longer ▁an ▁issue ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁capacity ▁of ▁the ▁system ▁to ▁make ▁ster oid ▁( i . e ., ▁level ▁of ▁P 4 5 0 s cc ▁in ▁the ▁mit och ond ria ) ▁is ▁now ▁more ▁important . ▁ ▁Cort ic otrop in ▁( ACT H ) ▁is ▁a ▁h orm one ▁that ▁is ▁released ▁from ▁the ▁anterior ▁p itu it ary ▁in ▁response ▁to ▁stress ▁situations . ▁A ▁study ▁of ▁the ▁ster oid ogen ic ▁capacity ▁of ▁the ▁ad ren al ▁cor tex ▁in ▁inf ants ▁with ▁ac ute ▁resp ir atory ▁disease ▁demonstrated ▁that ▁indeed ▁during ▁disease ▁state ▁there ▁is ▁a ▁specific ▁increase ▁in ▁the ▁ster oid ogen ic ▁capacity ▁for ▁the ▁synth esis ▁of ▁the ▁gl uc oc ort ico id ▁cort is ol ▁but ▁not ▁for ▁the ▁min eral oc ort ico id ▁al d oster one ▁or ▁and ro gen ▁D HE