Endocrinology Flashcards
hormone
- specific chemical secreted by a specific tissue
- chemical substance produced and released by endocrine cells, carried through body in blood and exerts regulatory influence on other cells it reaches through the blood
endocrine control
- slow and broadcast
- must circulate to target tissues and diffuse to effective concentrations within tissues before it can elicit a response
- released hormone into blood
- transported to target site
- brings about a certain effect
once hormone is released into blood…
- it is carried to virtually all cells in the body-> only those that have a receptor molecule for hormone respond
- some hormone signaling alters gene transcription and protein synthesis
half life
- time required for half of a set of recently secreted hormone molecules to be removed
target tissues
express hormone receptor molecules that bind the hormone
- any processing at tissue level
- receptor distribution
- sensitivity of target cell depends on the number of functional receptor molecules that target cell expression for the hormone
endocrine systems best suited for…
- long term resgulatory functions
- such as maintenance of blood sugar, blood osmolarity, reproductive potential… etc.
endocrinology studied by:
1) gland removal/replacement
2) effects from overdose (hypersecretion)
3) isolate and characterize specific molecules
4) spontaneous defects
5) cloning gene
6) detailing receptors/signal transduction
bioassay
measure of a hormone in a living system by measuring its effects on the system
- ex: bioassay for androgens with chick combs
- generate standard curve
- problems: subject to variability and sensitivity
chemical measured
HPLC, gas chromatography, mass spec
immunological measure
- RIA (Radioimmunoassay)–> develop antibody against hormone, determine percent binding, generate standard curve
- Elise (enzyme linked immunoadsorption assay)
- both very quantitative and sensitive
- Problem: may not be testing only biologically active substances
chemical regulators
- hormones
- neurosecretions (neuro-hormones released from neurosecretory tissue (ex: ADH, epi/NE), neurotransmitters (ex: Acetycholine, epi/NE))
- parahormones (local hormones, cytokines, H+, CO2)
- phytohormones
- cyclic nucleotides, 2nd messengers
- pheremones (released outside animals for communication within species)
- inorganics ex: Ca++
protein mode of action
- surface receptor
- signal transduction
- 2nd messenger
- transduce hormonal signal into response of target cell
steroid
- synthesized from cholesterol
- intracellular receptor
- new mRNA (interacts with target cells DNA to alter gene expression)
- lipid soluble (can diffuse through cell membrane)
- not stockpiled in vesicles prior to secretion-> when cell is stimulated to secrete steroid hormones, they are synthesized on demand and immediately secreted through diffusion through cell membrane
pituitary gland
- hypophysis
- master endocrine gland
- back of the roof of the mouth
- 2 parts: anterior and posterior
posterior pituitary
neural from the hypothalamus
anterior pituitary gland
derived from epidermal cells in the roof of the mouth
- embryologically derived from Rathke’s Pouch
- non neuronal endocrine tissue
adenohypophysis
- anterior lobe
- intermediate lobe
neurophypopysis
- intermediate lobe
- posterior lobe
median eminance
- forms part of the floor of the hypothalamus
- blood system to the anterior pituitary
anterior pituitary hormone
- STH (somatotropic hormone); growth hormone (influences growth and metabolism)
- TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone)-> supports and maintains tissues of thyroid gland and stimulates the gland to secrete thyroid hormone
- ACTH (adrenal corticotropic hormone)
- Gonadotropic hormones (Gntps)-> FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) and LH(lutenizing hormone)
- prolactin
- lipotropin, endorphins, enkephalins
intermediate lobe hormone
- produces one hormone
- MSH: melanophore stimulating hormone
posterior pituitary hormones
- ADH (antidiuretic hormone)-> vasopressin and vasotocin: limits production of urine and stimulates constriction of arterioles
- oxytocin: causes contraction of uterus during birth and ejection of milk by mammary glands
when neurosecretory cells are stimulated by neurons in brain they…
generate action potentials that propagate from hypothalamus to axon terminal in pars nervosa-> release hormone by exocytosis-> hormone diffuses into blood
hypothalamo-hypophysial portal system
- provides interface between brain and endocrine system
- blood system from the median eminence to the anterior pituitary
- hormones secretes by the hypothalamus are released into median eminence and carried via the protal system to the anterior pituitary
releasing hormones
- stimulate secretion of anterior pituitary hormone
- activate the anterior pituitary to synthesize and release a certain hormone
- mostly small polypeptides
hypothalamus master organ regulates anterior and posterior pituitary
- via releasing hormones (anterior pituitary)
- via neural input (ADH, oxytocin), produced in hypothalamus, stored in posterior pituitary gland
CRH
- corticotropin releasing hormone
- releases ACTH
GH-RF
- growth hormone releasing factor
GH-IRF
- growth hormone inibitory releasing factor
- growth hormone inhibited from being released by negative feedback
TRH
- thyrotropin releasing hormone
- releases TSH
- TSH stimulates release of TH from thyroid glands
GNRH
- gonadotropin releasing hormone
- releases FSH/LH
Prl RF
- prolactin releasing factor
- releases prolactin
- probably dopamine
PIRF
- prolactin inhibitory releasing factor
- inhibits prolactin
MSH-RF
releases MSH
MSH-IRF
inhibits MSH
control of anterior pituitary hormones
- via feedback systems
- ex: TSH
- inc cold-> hypothalamus (TRH_ to ant pit (TSH)-> thyroid gland-> TH-> inc MR, inc heat
- with negative feedback to ant pit and hypothalamus
- can interpret change in environmental conditions and respond
- hypothalamus picks up into from brain and responds accordingly
negative feedback
- hormone causes changes in its control pathway that suppress its own secretion (stabilizes blood concentration of hormone)
growth hormone
- produced by somatotrophin
- half life: 20-30 minutes
control of GH
- growth hormone, thyroid hormone, and androgens work synergistically (enhance each others effects) in the growth of young animals
- via GH-RF and GH-IRF
1) dec blood glucose: hypoglycemia-> inc GH release; also inc insulin levels-> inc GH-RF
2) increased amino acids-> inc GH
3) stress: glucocorticoids released during stress response inhibit secretion of GH from ant pit
GH effects on growth
1) bone growth: GH simulates the liver, kidney to produce somatomedin
somatomedin
- responsible for skeletal effects
- stimulates epiphyses (long-bone) endplate growth
- to lay down bone at the end of the shaft os long bones
GH effects on metabolism
1) inc lipid utilization and mobilization-> inc FFA-> energy source
2) Protein anabolic effects (causes synthesis of proteins(stimulates translation), inc AA uptake)
3) Carbohydrates
GH and carbohydrates
- inc blood glucose
- stimulates gluconeogenesis (producing glucose via AA and lipids; reverse of glycolysis; fatty acid-> glucose production)
- also depresses glycolysis (breakdown of glycogen); so conserves glycogen stores
synergistic
one hormone amplifies affect of another
GH synergistic with horomone
1) Thyroid hormone (GH is more effective with TH; also TH is needed for normal secretion of GH)
2) ACTH-> inc adrenal size
3) sex steroids-> inc size of accessory reproductive organs
Panhypopituitarism
- insufficient secretion of pituitary hormones
- GH, TSH, ACTH, GNTP… all anterior pituitary hormones are secreted at low amounts
- not proper growth of long bones
- no GNTP-> no sexual maturity
hyposecretion of only GH
sexually mature, but dwarfs