Drug Effects on the Hypothalamic Pituitary Axis Flashcards
What stimulates the release of growth hormone?
Ghrelin
Growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH)
What inhibits the release of growth hormone?
Somatostatin
Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs)
What carries out the functions of growth hormone?
IGFs
What happens in growth hormone insensitivity?
High growth hormone levels
Liver doesn’t secrete IGF in response to growth hormone
No negative feedback of IGF to growth hormone release
What is a secondary growth hormone deficiency?
Growth hormone not secreted
What is a tertiary growth hormone deficiency?
No signal for growth hormone release from hypothalamus
What is another name for growth hormone?
Somatotropin
What is the bioavailability of growth hormone aver oral administration?
Zero
How must growth hormone be administered?
Daily/multi-daily parenteral administration
Why must the dose of growth hormone be titrated to effect?
Because replacing physiologically regulated hormone
What hormone can growth hormone affect?
Can cause reduced T4 levels
What does activation of the GHRH receptor lead to biochemically?
Elevates cAMP
What does the activation of the ghrelin receptor lead to biochemically?
Elevates Ca
What are the effects of both GHRH and ghrelin?
Synergistic effect on release of growth hormone
When is IGF-I administered?
Growth hormone insensitivity; eg: Laron dwarfism
Patients with anti-growth hormone Abs
What are the side effects of IGF-I therapy?
Muscle hypertrophy
Sometimes hypoglycaemia
What do anti-growth hormone antibodies do?
Bind and inactivate growth hormone
What does too much growth hormone cause?
Acromegaly
What is often a cause of acromegaly?
Growth hormone releasing tumours
What are the effects of too much growth hormone in adults?
Continued growth of
- Hands
- Feet
- Cartilage
- Nose
- Ears
What are the effects of too much growth hormone in children?
Long bones don’t stop growing
Organ damage
What are the treatment options for too much growth hormone?
Remove tumour - If relevant - Not always large - Can be anywhere Reduce growth hormone release - Somatostatin analogues - Dopamine agonist Inhibit growth hormone action - Growth hormone antagonist
Why is somatostatin itself not often administered?
Has short half life
Do somatostatin analogues work on growth hormone secreting tumours?
Work on many because have somatostatin receptors
What is pegvisomant?
Growth hormone antagonist