Endocrinology Flashcards
What are 2 mechanisms of increased functional effects of hormones in endocrine disease?
Hyperfunction – excess production of hormone
New source of hormone other than expected endocrine gland
What are the mechanisms of primary hyperfunction?
- Functional hyperplastic or neoplastic disease of endocrine gland – these cells have the ability to produce and secrete functional hormone
- Autonomous secretion of excess hormone, independent of a stimulus and cells may have reduced sensitivity/insensitivity to negative feedback mechanisms
- Hormone secretion above homeostatic control
Distinguish primary and secondary hyperfunction.
If this lesion occurs within the endocrine gland, it is primary hyperfunction.
If a lesion occurs outside the endocrine gland producing the excess hormone this is secondary hyperfunction
Outline the steps of secondary hyperfunction.
- Functional lesion in endocrine gland 2
- Excess stimulatory hormone
- Endocrine gland 1
- Excess hormone from endocrine gland 1
Explain 1 example of non-hormonal signals causing secondary hyperfunction.
Endocrine glands can also be stimulated by non-hormonal signals, such as electrolytes like calcium. Primary disease causing hypercalcaemia, causing excess stimulation at endocrine gland 1 and meaning excess hormone is produced
Outline the normal pituitary axis.
- Pituitary
- ACTH/adrenocorticotropic hormone
- Adrenal cortex
- Cortisol
- Negative feedback on pituitary
If an animal had excess production of cortisol by the adrenal glands (adrenal hyperfunction) caused by a functional neoplastic lesion, where might this neoplasm be present?
Could have a functional neoplasm in the adrenal cortex, producing cortisol. Could have functional neoplasm in the anterior pituitary gland producing ACTH, causing excessive stimulation of the adrenal cortices and excess secretion of cortisol as a result.
How would you classify the adrenal hyperfunction arising from tumours at the pituitary and at the adrenal cortex?
Adrenal = primary, pituitary = secondary
If there were no abnormalities present in the adrenal glands or pituitary to account for a state of excess circulating cortisol, how else might this state have arisen?
Most common way is exogenous source of cortisol/administration of glucocorticoids. In rare cases, can get ACTH being produced from a site that is not the pituitary gland – ectopic production of ACTH by a non-pituitary tumour. The hypothalamus produces corticotropin releasing hormone that stimulates ACTH production and very rarely can ectopic production of CRH by a tumour occur.
How are hyperplastic lesions, benign tumours, and malignant endocrine tumours differentiated?
Hyperplastic lesions on endocrine glands may result in nodular hyperplasia. Tumours are often larger than hyperplasia and carcinomas are larger than adenomas. Presence of a capsule is often used to differentiate nodular hyperplasia. Local tissue invasion and metastases is used to differentiate carcinomas.
What are the mechanisms that cause decreased functional effects of hormones?
- Hypofunction – insufficient production of hormone
- Lack of response to a hormone
What is primary hypofunction?
- Endocrine gland has impaired ability or lack of ability to produce hormone
- Leads to insufficient circulating hormone
What are the possible congenital causes of primary hypofunction?
- Genetic mutation – biochemical defect in hormone synthesis or activation pathways
- Development anomaly – hypoplasia or aplasia of endocrine glands
What might cause destruction of functional cells in acquired primary hypofunction?
- Infections
- Immune-mediated disease
- Neoplastic disease
- Vascular disease, such as infarctions
- Treatments - surgical excision, radiotherapy, drugs
Outline the 2 mechanisms causing secondary hypofunction.
Diseased endocrine gland – primary hypofunction > reduced stimulatory signal > endocrine gland – secondary hypofunction > subnormal hormone secretion
Nutritional deficient or intestinal disease > decreased absorption of nutrients > lack of substrate for hormone synthesis > endocrine gland – secondary hypofunction > subnormal hormone secretion
What might cause lack of response to hormones?
- Primary disease, such as an abnormal receptor or failure of a component of a signalling cascade
- Dysfunction caused secondary to another disease condition in the body
What basic mechanisms could affect this system and result in persistent excessively high blood glucose levels (hyperglycaemia)?
May have a state of hypofunction with inadequate production of insulin – this may be primary (congenital with beta-cell hypoplasia or acquired with pancreatitis and immune mediate degeneration of beta-cells). Another mechanism could be lack of response to insulin/insulin resistance, factors that contribute to this is obesity and other endocrine diseases.
What do the different parts of the adrenal gland produce?
- Zona glomerulosa – mineralocorticoids, such as aldosterone
- Zona fasciculata – glucocorticoids, such as cortisol
- Zona reticularis – sex steroids
- Medulla – catecholamines
Diseases affecting the adrenal gland are more common in which part?
Adrenal cortex > adrenal medulla
How do functional tumours cause atrophy of the adrenal glands?
Functional tumour arising in the adrenal cortex and causing autonomous production of cortisol, which negatively feedbacks on the hypothalamus and the pituitary > decreased CRH > decreased ACTH. This will cause atrophy of the adrenal cortices.
What are the characteristics of adrenal cortical tumours?
- Most common in dogs
- May be functional or non-functional
- Bilateral or unilateral
- Adenoma > carcinoma
- Obliterate effect of the adrenal gland
- Local invasion metastatic spread – liver, kidneys, lungs, lymph nodes
What is the clinical significance of adrenal cortical nodular hyperplasia?
Does not cause signs of hyperadrenocorticism so are incidental findings of no clinical significance.
Describe secondary (pituitary dependent) hyperadrenocorticism.
Pituitary tumour, usually adenoma) with autonomous production of ACTH, in secondary hyperfunction of the adrenal glands. Excess production of cortisol and bilateral hypertrophy of the adrenal cortices. Cortisol has a negative feedback to the hypothalamus causing a decreased CRH but pituitary tumour is insensitive to the negative feedback.
What neoplastic changes can cause hyperadrenocorticism in dogs?
- 85% secondary hyperadrenocorticism (functional pituitary tumours), pituitary dependent
- 15% primary hyperadrenocorticism (functional adrenocortical tumours)
What is iatrogenic hyperadrenocorticism?
- Glucocorticoids administration
- Negative feedback on hypothalamus and pituitary glands
- Decreased CRH to pituitary glands and decreased ACTH to adrenals
- Bilateral adrenal cortex atrophy
What is the end effect of primary hypoadrenocorticism?
Bilateral adrenocortical atrophy/destruction
What are the causes of primary hypoadrenocorticism?
- Idiopathic (immune-mediated?)
- Adrenal inflammation (adrenalitis)
- Vascular disease e.g. adrenal gland infarction, haemorrhage and necrosis
- Metastatic tumour spread to the adrenals
What do disturbances in mineralocorticoids, such as aldosterone, cause?
- Disturbances in potassium, sodium and chloride
- Hyperkalaemia and hyponatraemia
What are the causes of secondary hypoadrenocorticism?
- Pituitary disease – infections, neoplasia
- Loss of ACTH
- Bilateral adrenal cortical atrophy with sparing of the zona glomerulosa, as ACTH mostly affects the production and release of glucocorticoids
What is iatrogenic secondary hypoadrenocorticism?
- Rapid withdrawal o glucocorticoids
- ACTH decrease
- Atrophied cortex unable to produce sufficient cortisol to compensate for withdrawal of exogenous glucocorticoids
- Hypoadrenocorticism
What are the characteristics of phaeochromocytomas?
- Benign or malignant
- Local invasion and metastatic spread
- Occasionally function and can produce catecholamines, such as adrenaline and noradrenaline, and when this happens, they cause cardiovascular disease – tachycardia and hypertension
Explain why loss of insulin causes persistent hyperglycaemia.
- Insulin suppresses hepatic glucose production and enhances uptake of glucose by peripheral tissues, particularly striated muscles and adipose tissue.
- Other roles of insulin include breakdown of fat and glycogen synthesis.
- So loss of insulin action loses regulatory control of blood glucose levels and so persistent hyperglycaemia develops.
- This is because of over-production of glucose by the liver and a reduction in uptake of glucose by skeletal muscle (and adipose tissue).
What are the main 2 mechanisms of diabetes mellitus?
- Pancreatic beta-cell hypofunction resulting in insufficient insulin production
- Insulin resistance – reduced response to insulin by target cells or antagonism of insulin
Distinguish the human based classification of type 1, type 2 and type S of diabetes mellitus.
Type 1
- Deficiency of insulin
- Primary immune-mediated or idiopathic loss of beta-cells
Type 2
- Complex multifactorial disease
- Inadequate insulin production and resistance to insulin in tissues
Other causes/type S
- Destruction of beta-cells by exocrine pancreatic disease
- Antagonism of insulin by other hormones or drugs
What are the 4 causes of diabetes mellitus in dogs?
- Beta-cell destruction – pancreatitis, pancreatic necrosis
- Immune-mediated destruction of beta-cells
- Insulin antagonism/insulin resistance
- Congenital/juvenile disease – uncommon
What causes insulin antagonism/resistance in dogs?
- Progesterone and growth-hormone – dioestrus and pregnancy
- Cortisol – hyperadrenocorticism
- Exogenous glucocorticoids and progestogens
What is the onset of juvenile disease causing diabetes mellitus in dogs?
Onset at birth – Keeshond
Juvenile onset – islet cell hypoplasia, juvenile pancreatic atrophy, greyhounds
What are the causes of diabetes mellitus in cats?
- Type 2 diabetes – reduced insulin production and insulin resistance
- Beta-cell exhaustion and glucotoxicity
- Beta-cell destruction – pancreatitis
- Insulin antagonism/insulin resistance - growth hormone/acromegaly, cortisol
What are the risk factors of diabetes mellitus in cats?
- Age (> 10 years old)
- Obesity
- Male
- Burmese breed
Describe the histological appearance of cats with disturbances to beta cells.
Cats with disturbances beta cell function often develop amyloid deposition/accumulation in the pancreatic islets - pale pink
Explain how beta cell exhaustion and glucotoxicity causes diabetes mellitus in cats.
Insulin resistance and hyperglycaemia can result in persistent stimulation of beta cells to produce insulin, leading to cell exhaustion and decrease in beta cell function. This then leads to decreased insulin secretion and exacerbation of chronic hyperglycaemia. Initially reversible but over time irreversible injury and loss of beat cells
What are 2 causes of diabetes mellitus in cattle?
Immune-mediated
Associated with some viral infections
- Persistent foot and mouth disease virus
- Bovine viral diarrhoea virus?
What are 2 causes of beta cell hyperfunction?
Excess insulin production > hypoglycaemia
Functional insulin secreting beta-cell tumour/insulinoma
Name the 2 hormones that the thyroid gland produces.
Triiodothyronine/T3
Thyroxin/T4
What is the cause of primary hyperthyroidism?
Functional nodular hyperplasia or neoplasia of one or both thyroids.
What does T3 and T4 production by functional lesions cause?
Negatively feedback that will cause a reduction in TRH and TSH but does not affect the autonomous production of thyroid hormones by the functional lesions in the thyroid glands, so the overproduction f thyroid hormones continues.
What is the cause of feline hyperthyroidism?
- Multinodular hyperplasia/adenomatous hyperplasia and/or follicular adenomas
- Cause enlargement of the thyroid
What are the characteristics of thyroid neoplasia in dogs?
- Carcinomas are more common than adenomas
- May invade local tissues
- Metastatic spread to lungs and local lymph nodes
- Clinical signs of hyperthyroidism are uncommon in dogs
What is primary hypothyroidism?
Destruction of thyroid follicular cells
What are the causes of primary hypothyroidism in dogs?
- Lymphocytic thyroiditis
- Idiopathic follicular atrophy
- Thyroid neoplastic disease - destruction of the thyroids, uncommon
- Pituitary lesions causing insufficient release of TSH - secondary hypothyroidism, uncommon
How does lymphocytic thyroiditis cause primary hypothyroidism?
Autoantibodies against thyroid follicular cell antigens. Causes degeneration of the thyroid follicles and associated with lymphocytic inflammatory cell infiltrate. Over time, functional thyroid tissue becomes replaced by fibrous connective tissue that separates residual small follicles.
How does idiopathic follicular atrophy cause primary hypothyroidism?
Progressive loss of thyroid follicular epithelium and replaced with adipose tissue = loss of functional tissue
Where does parathyroid hormone act and what is its effect at each site?
- Kidney – increases calcium reabsorption and decreases phosphorus reabsorption. Activation of calcitriol (active form of vitamin D) synthesis
- Bone – bone resorption by osteoclasts for mobilisation of calcium
- GI tract – promotes absorption of calcium
What is the effect of calcitriol on parathyroid hormone?
Calcitriol has a suppressive regulatory action on PTH, which contributes to the reduction of PTH secretion.
What are the mechanisms of hyperparathyroidism?
- Primary hyperparathyroidism
- Parathyroid hormone related protein production by neoplasms/pseudohyperparathyroidism
- Hyperparathyroidism secondary to chronic kidney disease
- Hyperparathyroidism secondary to nutritional imbalances
Explain how primary hyperparathyroidism causes hypercalcaemia.
- Functional chief cell adenoma or focal/multifocal nodular hyperplasia or chief cell carcinoma (rare)
- Autonomous secretes PTH
- Hypercalcemia
- Negative feedback on normal chief cells
- Reduced PTH secretion from normal chief cells
- Atrophy of normal chief cells and atrophy of remaining parathyroid glands over time
- Functional lesion is insensitivity to the negative feedback and so persistent state of hypercalcaemia
Which neoplasms can release parathyroid hormone related protein?
- Anal sac apocrine gland carcinoma
- Multiple myeloma
- Lymphoma
- Some carcinomas
What is the effect of parathyroid hormone related protein production by neoplasms?
- Binds to PTH receptors in bone and kidney
- Hypercalcaemia
- Persistent hypercalcaemia will cause atrophy of the parathyroid glands
Explain how hyperparathyroidism occurs secondary to chronic kidney disease.
- In CKD, there is reduced GFR and retention of phosphate, resulting in hyperphosphatemia
- Hyperphosphatemia stimulates fibroblast growth factors-23, which causes a reduced calcitriol synthesis by renal tubules
- So there is increased blood phosphate and decreased calcitriol
- Phosphorus binds bioavailable calcium
- Reduced calcium uptake by the GI tract
- Decreased blood calcium
- This stimulates chief cells in the thyroid to secrete PTH
- Decreased regulatory effect of calcitriol on PTH synthesis
- Increased PTH – diffuse chief cell hypertrophy and hyperplasia in all parathyroid glands
- Renal osteodystrophy – increased PTH causes increased osteoclastic action of bone and replacement with fibrous tissue.
Explain how hyperparathyroidism occurs secondary to nutritional imbalances.
- Dietary calcium: phosphate imbalance – low calcium or high phosphate with low or normal calcium
- Vitamin D deficiency
- Decreased blood calcium concentration
- Diffuse chief cell hypertrophy and hyperplasia in all parathyroid glands
- Increased PTH
- Fibrous osteodystrophy
Distinguish the adenohypophysis and neurohypophysis/pars nervosa that encompass the pituitary.
Pars nervosa contains external processes extending from the hypothalamus and hormones that are produced in the hypothalamus are transported to the pars nervosa for storage and secretion into the blood.
The adenohypophysis contains the pars distalis and the pars intermedia, which contain a variety of cell populations that can secrete a number of hormones, including growth hormone, TSH, ACTH and melanocyte stimulating hormone.
Describe the activity of the cells in the pars intermedia.
Cells in the pars intermedia are mainly melanotropes which synthesise POMCs, which is processed to produce a range of hormones, such as melanocyte stimulating hormone, beta-endorphin an corticotrophin-like intermediate peptide. The activity of the cells in the pars intermedia are regulated by dopamine, produced by neurones extending from the hypothalamus. Dopamine acts to inhibit activity of these cells.
What is PPID?
Thought to be an age related degeneration of dopaminergic neurones. The loss of the inhibitory effect resulting the cells of the pars intermedia causes increased synthesis and secretion of POMC and so MSH, CLIP and beta-endorphin. Additionally it can cause neoplasia/adenomas in the pars intermedia, which are often functional tumours
What are the clinical manifestations of PPID?
- Hirsutism (fail to shed hair)
- Hyperhidrosis (sweating)
- Muscle weakness
- Increased appetite
- PUPD
- Lethargy/docile
- Laminitis
What is diabetes insipidus?
Inability of the kidneys to concentrate urine due to loss of function effects of ADH
What are the mechanisms of diabetes insipidus?
- Insufficient ADH production or release from the hypothalamus/pituitary - central diabetes insipidus
- Renal tubules insensitive to ADH - nephrogenic diabetes insipidus
How does central diabetes insipidus arise?
Injury/destruction of the hypothalamus or pituitary
Distinguish primary and secondary nephrogenic diabetes insipidus.
Primary NDI rare congenital disease, such as mutation affecting the ADH receptor
Secondary (acquired) NDI can be associated with various diseases, such as pyometra, pyelonephritis, hyperadrenocorticism, hypercalcaemia
What is acromegaly the result of?
Hypersomatotropism caused by growth-hormone (somatotropin) secretion by a functional pituitary tumour - adenoma and slow growing
What does acromegaly cause?
- Pituitary is greatly enlarged
- Can have enlarged skull and face with broadened facial changes
- May also have enlargement of the feet, liver and kidneys
- Myocardial hypertrophy
How are POMCs produced?
Hypothalamus > dopamine > positive feedback > pituitary > pro-opiomelanocortins (POMCs)
What happens to the production of POMCs in PPID in horses?
- Decrease in production of dopamine from hypothalamus
- Decrease in inhibition of pituitary
- Pituitary adenoma
- Overproduction of POMCs
What are the clinical signs of PPID in horses?
- Long curly coat, unknown cause
- Laminitis – insulin resistant
- PUPD – decreased secretion of vasopressin?
- Weight loss – cortisol production, associated other disease, parasites
- Docile – increase in B-endorphin in CSF
- Neurological impairment – compression from adenoma
- Hyperhidrosis
- Change in fat distribution, bulging fat pads
- Infertility
- Skin disease
- Periodontal disease
How is PPID diagnosed in horses?
- Clinical signs and signalment
- Post mortem
- Individual variation in POMC production
- Pars intermedia more active in Autumn - adjust reference ranges
- ACTH test
- Overnight dexamethasone suppression test/ONDST
- THR stimulation
- Combined dex suppression and THR test
- Insulin concentration
How is an ACTH test done in order to diagnose PPID in horses?
- Best first-line test
- Resting plasma ACTH concentration
- Should not be stressed
- Collect blood – cold plastic EDTA tube
How is an THR stimulation test done in order to diagnose PPID in horses?
- Better than ACTH – more sensitive
- Inject TRH
- Blood for ACTH at 10 and 30 mins
How useful is combined dex suppression and TRH tests to diagnose PPID in horses?
May be the best test but expensive and multiple sample collections
How useful is insulin concentration to diagnose PPID in horses?
Often insulin resistant, may have EMS instead/as well, may help management but not firm diagnosis
What is done if PPID diagnosis has a positive test result?
- Remember risk of false positives due to Autumn
- Start treatment
- Repeat the test in 4-6 weeks to check dose
- Repeat annually as disease progresses
What is done if PPID diagnosis has a negative test result?
- But high clinical suspicion?
- Start treatment anyway?
- Assess clinical response
- Routine checking of aged horses?
How is PPID treated in horses?
- Farriery
- Clipping
- Parasite control
- Dental care
- Feeding
- Dopamine agonist
Describe the anatomy of the thyroid in horses.
- 2 lobes over position of proximal trachea
- Usually palpable but not visible
- Thyroid hormones for cell growth, differentiation, metabolism in nearly all tissues
- Thyroid disease in horses rare
What are the factors affecting thyroid gland function and testing in horses?
Age
Gender
Breed
Hormones
Season
Disease
Activity
Feeding
Iodine supplementation
Medication
Describe hyperthyroidism in foals.
- Major cause is nutritional during gestation
- Inadequate or excessive iodine intake by the mare
- Low TH > lack of pituitary inhibition > excess TSH secretion > thyroid enlargement
What are the clinical signs of hyperthyroidism in foals?
- Thyroid enlargement (goitre) – but not in all
- Stillbirth, weakness, defective ossification
- Can be born normal, develop skeletal lesions when weeks old
How is hyperthyroidism in foals diagnosed?
- TH concentrations vary in foals
- TSH/TRH stim tests
- But thyroid gland function may be normal once the foal is born
- Look at mare’s diet – beware seaweed supplementation
Why is prognosis of hyperthyroidism in foals poor?
Because the problem happened during development so cannot be reversed
What are the clinical signs of hyperthyroidism in adult horses?
Anaemia
Irregular oestrous cycle
Poor performance
TH low, TRH, TSH high
High T3 and T4
Tremors
Excitability
Tachycardia
Sweating
How is hyperthyroidism in adult horses treated?
Levothyroxine
Anti-thyroid therapy with potassium iodide
What are the characteristics of thyroid adenomas in horses?
- Enlarged thyroid, often unilateral
- Usually no thyroid dysfunction
- Biopsy – benign
- Hemithyroidectomy if size interfering
What are the characteristics and clinical signs of thyroid granulosa-theca cell tumours in horses?
- Benign tumours
- Poor fertility
- Abdominal discomfort
- Stallion-like behaviour
How are thyroid granulosa-theca cell tumours in horses diagnosed?
- Rectal – enlarged ovary
- Usually unilateral and other often small
- Ultrasound multiloculated
- Anti-mullerian hormone newest and best test
How are thyroid granulosa-theca cell tumours in horses surgically removed?
- Standing laparoscopic assisted if possible
- Or laparotomy if very large (but long recovery)
- Usually only need to remove 1 ovary
- Histopathology
- Surgery and histopathology even if AMH negative
- Fertility should return
You see a severely overweight 10 year old pony for vaccinations. What test should you take for EMS and why would you?
OGTT as risk laminitis, lipomas, hyperlipaemia if starved
You see a 14 year old pony with laminitis. What underlying disease process do you test him for?
EMS and PPID
You see a lean 21 year old pony with his first bout of laminitis. What do you test him for and how?
PPID - TRH stimulation test or ACTH
You test ACTH when diagnosing PPID in a horse and get a borderline result. What test do you do now?
TRH stimulation test
You diagnose PPID in the pony. What treatment is used?
Pergolide and management
When do you re-test for PPID diagnosis in horses?
4-6 weeks after starting treatment, then every year. May want to test again before going on lush grass, which would increase insulin in the blood due to sugars in the grass.
Why is a re-test done when diagnosing PPID in horses?
Check pergolide dosage
What is pergolide’s mechanism of action?
Dopamine agonist
What is the most common side effect of pergolide?
Going off feed
What are the common downsides of pergolide?
Can’t compete, cost, might not be able to work/enough/be too late
What metabolic processes do thyroid hormones affect?
- Concentration/activity of various enzymes
- Metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, minerals, vitamins
- Secretion/degradation of and regulate response to many other hormones
- The heart – positive chronotropy/positive inotropy
- Enhance responsiveness to catecholamines
- Foetal development
- Stimulate erythropoiesis
How are thyroid hormones produced in the thyroid gland?
- Thyroid glands are follicular structures containing large reservoir of thyroglobulin (Tg)
- Iodination of tyrosine residues of Tg creates thyroid hormones
- So production requires adequate dietary iodide
- Iodide is actively transported from extracellular fluid to the thyroid gland
How do thyroid hormones circulate?
Primarily circulate in protein bound state as reservoir, only the free portion is metabolically active
What is euthyroid sick syndrome?
- Suppresses production of T4
- Many sick patients will have measurably low T4 levels
What is the most common acquired cause of canine hypothyroidism?
Most commonly immune mediated lymphocytic thyroiditis progressing to idiopathic atrophy
What are the dermatological clinical signs of canine hypothyroidism?
- Truncal alopecia, often spares the limbs and head but can vary from mild to severe
- May have secondary yeast or bacterial infections
- May have thickened skin particularly on the skin that is non-pitting but gives a depressed look due to myxoedema – hyaluronic acid in the skin
What are the clinical manifestations of canine hypothyroidism?
- Lethargy/weight gain
- Bradycardia
- Neuromuscular
- Rare - reproductive failures, corneal lipid deposition, megaoesophagus
How is canine hypothyroidism diagnosed?
- Sick dogs will have low T4 so only test when we are really suspicious
- Concurrent illness suppresses serum thyroid hormone concentrations
How are bloods used to diagnose canine hypothyroidism?
- Mild, non-regenerative anaemia – normocytic, normochromic anaemia of chronic disease
- Hyperlipaemia common – over 75% have hypercholesterolaemia and/or hypertriglyceridaemia. Ideally evaluate on fasted sample
Describe the levels of TSH and T4 if hypothyroid.
Hypothyroid – high TSH to attempt to stimulate the low T4
What does it mean if both T4 and TSH are normal?
Not hypothyroid