What does autocoid mean?
An autocoid is a biologically active substance that the body produces itself and that acts locally, near its site of synthesis, rather than being transported through the bloodstream to distant targets as classical hormones are. Familiar examples include histamine, serotonin, prostaglandins, and bradykinin — molecules that help regulate inflammation, allergic responses, vascular tone, pain signalling, and smooth-muscle contraction. The word derives from the Greek roots autos ('self') and akos ('remedy' or 'cure'), reflecting the idea of the body supplying its own therapeutic agents. Autocoids appear almost exclusively in medical, pharmacological, and biochemical contexts, where they are discussed alongside hormones, neurotransmitters, and cytokines as chemical messengers. Because they act briefly and locally, understanding autocoids is central to explaining why drugs such as antihistamines and anti-inflammatory agents work: many medicines function by blocking or mimicking these self-made regulators.
nounA substance, such as histamine or serotonin, that is produced naturally within the body and acts locally to influence physiological processes, functioning much like a local hormone.
- A naturally occurring substance in the body, such as histamine, serotonin, prostaglandins, or kinins, that acts locally on tissues to regulate physiological functions like inflammation, blood flow, smooth-muscle contraction, and immune response — often described as a 'local hormone'.
"Histamine, released during an allergic reaction, is one of the best-known autocoids in human physiology."
"Prostaglandins act as autocoids, mediating pain and fever at the site of tissue injury."
"The pharmacology lecture covered how autocoids differ from true hormones by exerting their effects close to where they are produced."
Regular plural formation; typically used when discussing classes or groups of these substances.
"Common autocoids include histamine, serotonin, and the prostaglandins."
Your body makes its own medicine — autocoids are literally named from Greek for 'self-remedy'.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of autocoid
The term autocoid was coined in the early twentieth century from the Greek autos, meaning 'self', and akos, meaning 'remedy' or 'cure', so it literally translates as 'self-remedy'. It entered English through the medical and physiological literature to describe internally generated substances with drug-like, locally acting effects. A closely related variant spelling, autacoid (from autos plus akos), appeared around the same time and remains common in older pharmacology texts. Both words share the autos root with a wide family of English borrowings such as automatic, autonomy, and autopsy.
Related word forms
How autocoid is actually used
Strictly a scientific and medical term used in physiology, pharmacology, and biochemistry; it would rarely appear outside academic or clinical writing. The variant spelling 'autacoid' is common in older textbooks, and some authors reserve 'autocoid' specifically for substances with drug-like activity while treating the two terms as otherwise interchangeable.
Easily confused with autocoid
Autacoid is a variant spelling of the same term; both refer to locally acting endogenous substances, though autacoid appears more frequently in older literature.