Adrenal Hormones

Question 1

What is the adrenal medulla

Answer 1

Central portion

Question 2

What does medulla secrete?

Answer 2

Epinephrine and norepinephrine

Question 3

What kind of tissue is the cortex?

Answer 3

Endocrine

Question 4

What kind of tissue is the medulla?

Answer 4

Neuroendocrine

Question 5

What’s the order of the “Zonas” from outer most to inner?

Answer 5

Zona glomerulosa, zona fascicularis, zona reticularis

Question 6

What does Zona glomerulosa secrete

Answer 6

Aldosterone

Question 7

What about zona fascicularis & reticularis?

Answer 7

cortisol & androgens

Question 8

What do mineralocorticoids do.

Answer 8

They affect electrolytes … minerals of ECF

Question 9

What do glucocorticoids do?

Answer 9

They affect blood glucose

Question 10

How is aldosterone metabolized?

Answer 10

Liver

Question 11

How is aldosterone excreted?

Answer 11

Kidney

Question 12

What does aldosterone do?

Answer 12

Absorption of Na and excretion of potassium

Question 13

What does excess aldosterone do?

Answer 13

Increases ECF due to water reabsorption and Na reabsorption. Increase in blood volume

Question 14

How does aldosterone effect K?

Answer 14

Less K in the ECF. Hypokalemia leads to muscle weakness and paralysis.

Question 15

What’s hyperkalemia?

Answer 15

Happens when there’s low aldosterone. Increases K concentration in ECF. Leads to cardiac toxicity, weakness of contraction, arrhythmia and cardiac death

Question 16

Without aldosterone what happens?

Answer 16

ECF K increases and Na decreases. ECF volume decreases and so does cardiac output.

Question 17

What stimulates aldosterone secretion?

Answer 17

Renin-angiotensin system activation, increased ECF K+ levels, acute increase in ACTH levels.

Question 18

What inhibits aldosterone release?

Answer 18

Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP)

And a chronic increase in ACTH levels

Question 19

What happens when there’s an increase in blood K+?

Answer 19

It stimulates adrenocortical cells to secrete aldosterone which targets kidney cells to increase K+ excretion.

Question 20

What does ANP promote?

Answer 20

Na excretion

Question 21

What do glucocorticoids like cortisol do?

Answer 21

They affect blood glucose levels. Kind of like glucagon because they work to increase blood glucose levels

Question 22

What does cortisol do?

Answer 22

Decrease glucose utilization by the cells and stimulate gluconeogenesis. Leads to adrenal diabetes. Increases production of glucose by liver. It decreases breakdown of glucose and entry of glucose into cells

Question 23

How does cortisol effect gluconeogenesis?

Answer 23

It increases enzymes required for the conversion of amino acids to glucose. Breaks down protein in muscle to release amino acids.

Question 24

What does cortisol do with respects to protein?

Answer 24

Increases protein breakdown and decreases protein synthesis with the exception of liver proteins.

Question 25

How does cortisol effect fat metabolism?

Answer 25

It increases fat utilization for energy (shift from glucose to fat) especially important during starvation and stress.

Question 26

How does cortisol effect cardiovascular system?

Answer 26

It increases RBC production and blood viscosity becomes thicker. Decreased cortisol leads to anemia

Question 27

How does cortisol effect the bone?

Answer 27

It decreases Ca levels so the bones are demineralized to increase Ca levels in the blood. This leads to osteoporosis.

Question 28

How does cortisol of a block inflammation

Answer 28

It inhibits phospholipase A2 which is a key enzyme for prostaglandin production. It also blocks leukocyte migration and neutrophil activity.

Question 29

How does cortisol inhibit immune system?

Answer 29

High Cortisol levels decrease T lymphocytes