Endocrinology Flashcards
Why are hormones interesting?
Because hormones regulate many physiological and behavioural aspects, they are key mediaters of inner-tissue communication, and many diseases originate from dysregulation of hormones and their receptors.
How are hormones classified?
A substance that is produced in one tissue/organ and is released into the blood and carried to other organs, where it acts to produce a specific response
OBS, however the term is also often used to define chemical signals produced by cells affecting the same cell or near by cells
Describe the different kinds of endocrine signaling.
Autocrine: works on same cell
Paracrine: works on neighbouring cells
Endocrine: carried by blood to target cells far away
Intracrine: hormone works intracellularly (can both be producedin the same cell or not)
What are the seven classical endocrine glands?
Pituitary, thyroid, parathyroids, testes, ovary, adrenal, endocrine pancreas
What are the two other endocrine glands?
Pineal gland/body, thymus
What are the three hormone classes (chemical classification)?
Peptide-, amino acid-derived (amine)-, and steroid (cholestorol metabolites) hormones
Mention some peptide hormones.
Insulin, GH, TSH
Mention some amine hormones.
TH, dopamine, NE
Mention some steroid hormones.
Cortisol, estradiol, testosterone
What are the general rule about glandular cells and glands?
One glandular cell, one hormone (exceptions)
One gland, one or more hormones
What are some non-glandular endocrine tissues?
Liver, kidney, heart, skeletal muscle, adipose tissue, CNS, GIT and bone
What is a paraneoplastic syndrome?
Syndrome caused by cancer in the body, but not mediated by local cancer cells, but rather by hormones secreted by tumor cells or by an immuneresponse against a tumor
Which is most common, negative or positive feedback control?
Negative
Which are the two pathways for hormone secretion?
Constitutive: unregulated, vesicles filled with hormones and integral membrane proteins in trans part of golgi
Regulated: hormones stored in vesicles secreted upon stimulation, vesicles filled with hormones in cis part of golgi
How can hormones be transported?
Freely or bound to carrier proteins
What are the function of hormone binding proteins?
1) providing a reservoir of circulating hormones
2) restricting the “active” hormone level
3) extending the half-life or the hormone
4) delivering the hormone to target cells
What are some hormones that are both transported by hormone binding proteins and freely?
thyroid hormones, steroid hormones, IGF1+2, GH
What are some proteins that are freely transported in the blood?
Catecholamines, peptidehormones (except IGF1+2, GH)
What are the receptor types used for hormone signaling?
GPCRs, guanylyl cyclase receptors, RTKs, tyrosine kinase-associated receptors, and intracellular receptors (nuclear receptors)
Describe the signaling pathway mediated by guanylyl cyclase receptors, and the termination.
Signaling: Convert GTP –> cGMP –> cGMP activates PKG –> downstream signaling
Termination: PDEs degrade cGMP (PDE5 is a viagra target)
Describe the different G-proteins of GPCRs.
G_s + G_i: affecting AC activity
s = stimulating = [cAMP] increase
i = inhibiting = [cAMP] decrease
G_q: PLC activation = PIP2 –> IP3 + DAG –> [Ca2+] increase –> PKC activation
G_i + G_o: PLC_2 activation
Describe the signal transduction stimulated by RTKs.
Binding of ligand –> RTK autophosphorylation and phosphorylation of other RTK substrates.
Describe the signal transduction stimulated by tyrosine kinase-associated receptors.
Ligand binding –> bring JAKs in closer proximity –> JAKs crossphosphorylate each other and the receptor subunits –> activated JAKs phosphorylates downstream targets
Which receptor types do steroid and thyroid hormones bind to?
Intracellular receptors