I believe that increasing corticotropin-releasing factor levels will likely increase adrenocorticotropic hormone levels; and also increase the cortisol levels. Corticotropin releasing hormone is a peptide hormone that stimulates both the synthesis and the secretion of adrenocorticotropic hormone in the corticotropin producing cells of the anterior pituitary gland. It is secreted by the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus in response to stress.