Endocrine System & Gallbladder Flashcards
During the day, when are cortisol levels at their peak ?
in the morning and toward the end of sleep
- to help prepare us for our days and get up
- released by the adrenal cortex
What are the adrenal gland hormones ?
- sugar (glucocorticoids)
- salt (mineralocorticoids) (aldosterone)
- sex (androgens)
What is hyperadrenal ?
- too much sugar
- too much salt
- too much sex hormones
What does Aldosterone regulate ?
sodium and potassium balance
- therefore regulates water balance
What does the adrenal cortex secrete ?
steroid hormones
- glucocorticoids (cortisol) , mineralocorticoids, androgens
What do glucocorticoids do ?
inhibit the inflammatory response
- considered anti-inflammatory
What do mineralocorticoids do ?
aldosterone
- essential for maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance
What do androgens do ?
regulate pubic and axillary hair growth and sex drive in females
What is the function of cortisol ?
- secreted by the adrenal cortex
- the most abundant and potent glucocorticoid
- necessary to maintain life (can survive with high levels but not low)
- regulates glucose, inhibits inflammatory action, support response to stress, promotes metabolism
What is the precursor for steroid hormone synthesis ?
cholesterol
What does the adrenal medulla secrete ?
- secretes catecholamines: involved in stress response and prolong effects of SNS
- epinephrine (for stress response) is the major hormone (75%)
- norepinephrine
- dopamine
What causes Cushing’s syndrome/disease ?
over-secretion of the corticosteroid, especially glucocorticoids
- endogenous and exogenous
- most common cause is chronic use of corticosteroids (popular is prednisone)
What are some endogenous causes of Cushing’s ?
- adrenal carcinoma (cancer of the adrenal)
- congenital adrenal hyperplasia
What are corticosteroids used for ?
- organ transplant
- allergic reaction
- autoimmune disease
- severe allergies
- chronic and acute inflammatory conditions
- asthma and COPD
What are some S&S of Cushing’s ?
- weight gain with increase appetite “Moon face”
- unexplained hypokalemia
- impaired glucose intolerance (elevated glucose)
- easy bruising and petechiae (fragile blood vessels)
- HTN: Na and water retention and dependent edema
- hirsutism on face of women (or in areas not common)
- gynecomastia (enlarged male breasts) in men
- decreased immune system (high risk for infections without fever) & poor would healing
- weakness, fatigue, and sleep disturbances
- gastric upset/ulcers: due increase in hydrochloric acid
- thin, and fragile skin/thinning/balding of hair/ osteoporosis
- striae: reddened lines on abdomen
- diarrhea is more likely
- emotional irritability: depression
What is the primary causes of Addison’s disease ?
- idiopathic autoimmune dysfunction
- cancer
- adrenalectomy
- radiation of the abdomen
What are the secondary causes of Addison’s disease ?
abrupt steroid withdrawal
- taking steroids so that adrenal gland won’t secrete so much cortisol and then we get use to those levels and once you stop taking the prednisone it causes Addison’s crisis
What are some S&S of Addison’s ?
- unexplained hyperkalemia
- weight loss, N/V
- hyperpigmentation
- craving salt (hyponatremia)
- weakness and fatigue
- hypoglycemia
- constipation or diarrhea
- dehydration
- orthostatic hypotension (Dizziness)