Endocrine Physiology Flashcards
Classification of hormones and examples
Polypeptides - vasopressin, oxytocin, insulin, glucagon, prolactin
Glycoproteins - TSH, FSH, KH
Steroids - corticosteroids, aldosterone, sex hormones
Amines - thyroxine, adrenaline
Fatty acid derivatives - prostaglandins
How are polypeptide and glycoprotein hormones transported in the blood
Hydrophilic so unbound in blood stream
How are polypeptide hormones stored and released
Stored in granules, released by exocytosis
Where are steroid hormones synthesised? From what?
How are they stored
How are they transported
Mitochondria from cholesterol
Produced on demand, not stored
Transported bound to proteins as lipophilic
How are amine hormones produced? How are they stored
From amino acid tyrosine
Stored in follicles or granules
How can hormones exert a change on cellular function
Changes in membrane permeability
Release of second messenger
Changes in intracellular protein synthesis
How do hormone receptors adapt to hormone concentration
Downregulate or upregulate to counter hormone amount
Nb down regulation can be drop in receptor number or in receptor response
Where are hormone receptors located
Hydrophilic hormone receptors on cell membrane
Lipiophilic hormone receptor in cytoplasm or nuclear
What is hormone permissiveness
When a hormone requires small amounts of another hormone to exert its effect
Eg glucocorticoids are required for catecholamines to have their lipolytic effecet
How do hormones alter membrane permeability?
Examples
Via GPCRs
Growth hormone, prolactin, insulin
Examples of second messenger mechanisms involved in hormone signalling
GPCR increasing cAMP causing intracellular protein phosphorylation (Gs)
GPCR decreasing cAMP reversing above (Gi)
GPCR activating PIP2 degradation to IP3 and DAG - IP3 causes calcium release DAG activates protein kinase c causing cell division and multiplication
Examples of hormones activating Gi receptors
Oxytocin, vasopressin, LH, FSH, TSH, ACTH, adrenaline beta receptors, PTH, glucagon
Examples of hormones activating Gi receptors
Somatostatin, alpha 2 adrenaline
Examples of hormones acting via PIP2
Alpha 1 adrenaline, vasopressin
What hormones act directly on protein synthesis?
How
Thyroixine, steroid hormones
Lipophillic so enter cell, bind to receptor in cytoplasm then cross into nucleus and bind to dna upregulating transcription
What factors can stimulate hormone release
Ion levels eg. Sodium dependent release of vasopressin
Organic molecules eg glucose dependent release of insulin
Physical/chemical stimulation eg gut hormones
Example of direct and indirect negative feedback on hormones
Direct - low glucose, decreased insulin
Indirect - glucocorticoids inhibit acth-rh, reducing acth, reducing cortisol secretion
Why does gland hypertrophy/atrophy occur
Continued low or high levels of hormone despite max or min production in an attempt to compensate
Where is the pituitary gland located
Sella turcica
Where do the anterior and posterior pituitary glands develop?
Posterior directly from hypothalamus
Anterior from rathkes pouch on roof of mouth.
What are the connections between the hypothalamus and the pituitary
Both via the pituitary stalk
Anterior via portal circulation
Posterior direct neuronal connection,
What is the portal circulation of the anterior pituitary
Function
Arrises from superior hypophyseal artery, primary capillary plexus on floor of hypothalamus absorbs releasing hormones, drains into portal vein to the secondary capillary plexus in the anterior lobe where the releasing hormones trigger release of trophic hormones into blood stream.
Cell types in anterior pituitary, hormones they release and proportion of total cell number for top 2
Somatotropes - growth hormone, 50%
Lactotropes - prolactin 10-30%
Corticotropes - ACTH
Thyrotopes - TSH
Gonadotropes - FSH and LH
Where are posterior lobe pituitary hormones produced? How are they released
Produced in median eminance of hypothalamus.
Form granules passed down axons in pituitary stalk into posterior pituitary for storage
Released into the blood stream when stimulation occurs
What hormones are produced for release int he posterior pituitary? Precisely where?
Vasopressin - supraoptic nucleus
Oxytocin - paraventricular nucleus
Functions of TSH
Type of hormone, mechanism
Stimulates production of thyroid hormone from thyroid and stimulates growth of thyroid gland
Glycoprotein, Gs
Functions of ACTH
Type of hormone, mechanism
Pattern of release
Increased corticosteroid production from adrenal cortex
Stimulates melanocytes to produce melanin
Polypeptide, Gs
Diurnal highest in mornings, lowest in evenings.
Functions of GH
Other name
Type of hormone, mechanism
Promotes protein synthesis, lipolysis and raised BM promoting growth
Indirect effects from increased release of other factors such as IGF-1 and 2
Somatotropin
Peptide hormone, affects permeability
Effect of high or low growth hormone as child
High - gigantism
Low - dwarfism
All in proportion!
Effect of high growth hormone in adults
High - acromegaly
Functions of Prolactin
Type of hormone, mechanism
Stimulates development of milk producing breast tissue and milk production, suppresses ovulation.
Peptide, increased permeability
Functions of FSH
Type of hormone, mechanism
Stimulates ovulation and spermatogenesis
Glycoprotein, Gs
Functions of LH
Type of hormone, mechanism
Stimulates ovulation and luteinisation of ovarian follicles
Stimulates testosterone secretion
Glycoprotein Gs
Functions of vasopressin
Mechanism of action
Water retention
All PIP2
V1 receptor - vasoconstriction
V2 receptor - insertion of AQP2 into collecting duct
V3 receptor - ACTH-RH release
What stimulates vasopressin release
Rise in osmotic pressure
Decreases in extracellular volume
Increased angiotensin II
Pain, stress and exercise
Nausea and vomiting
Smoking
What inhibits vasopressin release
Decreased plasma osmotic pressure
Increased extracellular fluid volume
Alcohol
Effect of vasopressin deficiency
Diabetes insipidus
Effect of vasopressin excess
Fluid retention, hyposomolality, hyponatraemia
What Type of hormone is vasopressin
Polypeptide
Functions of Oxytocin
Type of hormone, mechanism
Milk ejection from glands, uterine contractionin labour and post partum, sexual arousal
Polypeptide Gs
What is sheehans syndrome
Severe bleeding and hypovolaemia in childbirth leading to pituitary necrosis
What are the hormones produced by the hypothalamus that control anterior pituitary secretion? Type?
All polypeptides
TRH
ACTH-RH
GH-RH and GH-IH (somatostatin)
PRH and PIH (dopamine)
Gn-RH
Examples of crossover in hypothalamic releasing hormones effect
TRH also stimulates prolactin
GRH also inhibits TSH
Effects on hypothalamic hormone output
Pos/negative feedback
Stress
Diurnal variation
Emotional factors
Lobes of the thyroid
Left and right lobes each with upper and lower pole
Sometimes there’s a third pyramidal lobe anterior to isthmus
Arterial supply to thyroid
Venous drainage
Superior and inferior thyroid arteries
Superior middle and inferior thyroid veins
Structure of a thyroid acini (follicle)
Central colloid full of thyroglobulin and iodine
Surrounding thyroid epithelial cells
Parafollicular cells (c or clear cells) that secrete calcitonin
How are thyroid hormones produced
What enzyme is required to do this
Tyrosine in thyroglobulin (large glycoprotein) combines with iodine in 4-8 residue units (MIT monoiodotyrosine, and DIT diiodotyrosine). MIT combines with DIT to form triiodothyronine (T3) and DIT with DIT to from tetraiodothyronine (T4).
Under control of thyroid perisidase
How is iodine moved into the thyroid colloid
Dietary iodine converted to iodide (I-) in gut
Transported to thyroid where concentrated into the thyroid by sodium iodide pumps
Secreted into the colloid and oxidised back to iodine