This article is part of a Special Issue “Neuroendocrine-Immune Axis in Health and Disease.” The regulation and function of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenocortical (HPA) axis and glucocorticoids have been well conserved across vertebrate species. Glucocorticoids influence a wide range of physiological functions that include glucose regulation, metabolism, inflammatory control, as well as cardiovascular, reproductive, and neuronal effects. …