Day 9.2 Endocrine Flashcards
Layers of the Adrenal Cortex
GFR:
Zona glomerulosa
Zona fasciculata
Zona reticularis
What controls the Zona Glomerulosa? What does it produce?
Renin-Ang –> ZG –> Aldosterone
“salt”
What controls the Zona Fasiculata? What does it produce?
ACTH, CRH –> ZF –> Cortisol and sex hormones
“sugar” (glucocorticoids)
What controls the Zona Reticularis? What does it produce?
ACTH, CRH –> ZR –> Sex hormones (e.g. androgens)
“sex”
What kind of cells are located in the adrenal medulla? From where are they embryologically derived?
Chromaffin cells
Come from neural crest.
What controls the adrenal medulla? What does it produce?
Preganglionic sympathetic fibers signal the adrenal medulla, it makes catecholamines (epi, NE)
Embryo: where does the cortex derive from? the medulla?
Cortex is from mesoderm
Medulla (chromaffin cells) is from neural crest
How do the adrenal hormones get into cells?
They diffuse in, where they act on intracellular receptors, which regulate DNA transcription.
What is the most common tumor of the adrenal medulla (medulla specifically!) in adults? in kids?
Adults: pheochromocytoma
Kids: adrenal neuroblastoma
Pheochromocytoma causes episodic HTN; neuroblastoma does not.
What adrenal tumor is most common in adults?
Benign adrenal adenoma.
For medulla specifically, pheochromocytoma is most common
Where and how do the adrenal glands drain?
Left adrenal —> L adrenal vein —> L renal vein —> IVC
Right adrenal —> R adrenal vein —> IVC
This is the same as L and R gonadal- R testes is higher than left bc R vein drains directly to IVC, so neg prs draws testicle upwards.
How is cholesterol converted to Aldosterone? Where does this take place?
Happens in ZG of cortex: Cholesterol (Desmolase) Pregnenolone (3B-hydroxysteriod dehydrogenase) Progesterone (21a hydroxylase) 11-Deoxycorticosterone (11B hydroxylase) Corticosterone (aldosterone synthase) Aldosterone
What converts cholesterol to pregnenolone? How is it stimulated? How is it suppressed?
Desmolase is the enz
ACTH stimulates desmolase
Ketoconazole (anti-fungal) inhibits it.
What is the precursor to cholesterol?
Acetate
How is Cortocosterone converted to Aldosterone? What stimulates this conversion?
Aldosterone synthase is the enz
Angiotension II stimulates aldo synthase.
How is cholesterol converted to Cortisol (glucocorticoids)? Where does this take place?
Happens in ZF of cortex Cholesterol (Desmolase) Pregnenolone (17a-hydroxylase) 17-hydroxypregnenolone (3B- hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase) 17-hydroxyprogesterone (21a hydroxylase) 11-Deoxycortisol (11B hydroxylase) Cortisol
How is cholesterol converted to androgens? where does this happen?
Happens in ZR of cortex Cholesterol (Desmolase) Pregnenolone (17a-hydroxylase) 17-hydroxypregnenolone (17, 20 lyase) Dehydroepiandrosterone DHEA (3B- hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase) Androstenedione (17B) Testosterone
In the periphery, Testosterone can be converted to DHT (more potent form by 5a-reductase)
How is cholesterol converted to estrogens? Where does this occur?
1st part of pathway is same is androgens, so occurs in the ZR.
But, actual conversion to estrogens rather than androgens occurs in the periphery.
Androstenedione (+Aromatase) –> Estrone
Testosterone (+Aromatase) –> Estradiol
Testosterone is also converted to DHT (more potent form) in the periphery- this is catalyzed by 5a-reductase.
Action of finasteride
Drug that inhibits 5a-reductase, therefore it doesn’t allow conversion of testosterone to DHT.
What are the 3 things that cause congenital bilateral adrenal hyperplasia? Why are the adrenals hyperplastic?
17a-hydroxylase deficiency
21-hydroxylase deficiency
11B-hydroxylase deficiency
All congenital adrenal enz defects cause enlgmt of the adrenals since cortisol is decreased. Decreased cortisol causes increased ACTH, and the increased ACTH is what causes the enlgmt.
What does 17a-hydroxylase do?
Converts pregenolone (ZG) to 17-hydroxypregnenolone (ZF) Converts Progesterone (ZG) to 17-hydroxyprogesterone (ZF)
Once converted, the ZF hormones follow the pathway to make glucocorticoids (cholesterol)
17a-hydroxylase deficiency
Decreased sex hormones and decreased cholesterol, bc can’t get from the ZG to the ZF and ZR. Mineralocortocoids (aldosterone) are increased, bc everything stays in the ZG.
Sx: HYPERtension, hypokalemia
The HTN is bc there is excess mineralocorticoids, so increased Na+ and fluid retention.
XY: decreased DHT causes pseudohermaphroditism (externally phenotypic female, no internal reproductive structures)
XX: Externally phenotypic female w normal sex organs, but lacking secondary sex char (sexual infantilism)
What does 21-hydroxylase do?
Converts Progesterone (ZG) to 11-deoxycortisone (ZG) --> > > mineralocorticoids Converts 17-hydroxyprogesterone (ZF) to 11-deoxycortisol (ZF) --> > > Glucocorticoids
21-hydroxylase deficiency
Most common adrenal hormone deficiency.
Bc ZG and ZF pathways are blocked, there is decreased cortisol (and therefore increased ACTH) and also decreased mineralocorticoids (aldo)
Everything is shunted to the ZR, so there are increased sex hormones. (more testosterone is made)
Sx: HYPOtension, hyperkalemia, increased plasma renin acitivity and vol depletion. Salt wasting can lead to hypo-vol shock in a newborn
Masculinization and female pseudohermaphroditism
The hypotension is bc you can’t make mineralocorticoids