Endocrinology Flashcards
Which pathway comes first efferent or afferent
Afferent->efferent
What is the biological rhythm set by?
Cicardiam rhythm
Where are the collection of neurones responsible for the cicardian rhythm
Suprachiasmatic nucleus
What hormone is involve in setting the biological clock?
Melatonin
Where is melatonin released from to control the biological clock?
Pineal gland
What type of feedback is the most common?
Negative
When would we want positive feedback?
When we want a rapid response, blood clotting, ovulation
What is body osmotic pressure monitored by?
Osmoreceptors in the hypothalamus
What happens if osmolality is low (hypotonic)
Osmoreceptors send signal to posterior pituatry to secrete less ADH
Is less ADH is secreted due to low osmolality what is the result?
Decreased reabsorbtion of H20 in collecting ducts leading to large amount of dilute urine
If osmolality is detected and it is high, what signals do the osmoreceptors send?
- Stimulate thirst
2. Signal to post pituatry to secrete more ADH- increasing H20 reabsorbtion in collecting ducts of kidney
What does insulin stimulate?
Uptake of glucose and glycogenesis to decrease plasma glucose levels
What does glucagon stimulate?
Glycogenolysis to increase plasma glucose levels
What are the 4 hormone classifications
Peptide
Amino acid derivative
Glycoproteins
Steroids
Are peptide hormones water soluble?
Yes
Are amino acid derivatives water soluble?
Adrenal medulla hormones are
Thyroid hormones are lipid soluble
Are glycoproteins hormones water soluble?
Yes
Are steroid hormones water soluble?
No, lipid soluble
Name some peptide hormones
Insulin,
Glucagon
Growth hormone
What types of amino acids are amino acid derivative hormones synthesised from?
Aromatic
Name some amino acid derivative hormones and there precursor
Adrenaline, noradrenaline, thyroid hormones (tyrosine), melatonin (tryptophan)
Are glycoprotein hormones small or large generally?
Large made of sub units
What are some examples of glycoproteins hormones?
TSH, FSH
What are steroid hormones derived from?
Cholesterol
What are some examples of steroid hormones?
Cortisol, aldosterone, testosterone
The fact that many hormones need carrier proteins gives what kind of equilibrium? Why?
Dynamic because the hormones bound are inactive
What effect do carrier proteins have on hormones?
Increase solubility, increase half life, create a readily available reserve
What 3 main factors determine the level a hormone will be in the blood?
Rate of production (synth and secreion)
Rate of delivery (blood flow to organ)
Rate of degradation
Hormones circulate at what kind of concentration?
Picomolar
What kind of receptors do water soluble hormones need? Why?
G coupled or tyrosine kinase because they cant cross the plasma membrane
Binding of adrenaline to a G protein receptor does what?
Causes dissociated of alpha sub unit Activates adenyl cyclase CAMP activated Activate protein kinase Phosphorylate target
What happens when something like insulin binds to a tyrosine kinase receptor ?
Initial dimerisation
Autophosphorlyation of specific tyrosines
Recruitment of adapter proteins and protein kinase
Phosphorylation of target proteins
How does a type 1 lipid soluble hormones work?
Bind to a cytoplasmic receptor making a complex that enters the nucleus binding to dna
How does a type 2 lipid soluble hormone work?
Enters the nucleus ad binds to a pre bound receptor on the dna
What produces a slower response a water soluble hormone or lipid soluble
Lipid- has to await the transcription and translation of its target gene
What nucleus plays a key role in apeitite/satiety control?
Arcuate nucleus
What two types of neurones are in the arcuate nucleus?
Stimulators (of apetite)
Inhibitors promote satiety
What to the stimulators in the arcuate nucleus contain?
Neuropeptide Y (NPY)
Agouti-related peptide (AgRP)
Promote hunger
What do the inhibitory neurones in the Arcuate nucleus contain?
Pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC)- with alpha MSH and beta-Endorphin neurotransmitters
Promote satiety
What’s ghrelin? When is it released? What does it stimulate?
Peptide hormone
Stomach empty
The arcuate nucleus promoting hunger
What does leptin tell the brain?
Fat store levels
What kind of hormone is leptin? Where is it release from? What does it stimulate? What other hormone can do this?
It’s a peptide hormone
Released by adipocytes
Stimulates POMC in accurate to suppress apetite
Insulin
What is amylin? What does it do?
Peptide hormone from pancreas
Suppresses apetite
What do some obese people (very rare) have?
Loss of functioning leptin gene
Where is the thyroid gland located?
Below thyroid cartilage (Adams apple)
How many lobes does the thyroid gland have? What’s it joined by?
2
Isthmus
Where is the isthmus?
From the 2-3rd ring of trachea
What is the first endocrine to develop? When does this occur?
Thyroid gland
3-4 weeks gestation
What does the thyroid gland appear as in development?
Epithelial proliferation in floor of pharynx at the base of the tongue, migrating after several weeks
The thyroid gland migrates in development but remains connected to the tongue, how?
Via thyroglossal duct
Histilogically what can be seen in the thyroid?
Follicular cells in spheres called thyroid follicles
What are thyroid follicles filled with? What is it?
Colloid
A deposit of thyroglobulin
Despite being in the cell, what is colloid?
Extracellular
How does the parathyroid differ histilogically from the thyroid?
Smaller follicles
What do thyroid parafollicular cells produce?
Calcitonin
What cells of the parathyroid produce parathyroid hormone?
Chief cells
The parathyroid hormone is key in what
Calcium control
What’s the difference between T3 and T4 thyroid hormone
An extra iodine
What is T3 formed from
Monoiodotyrosine and diiodotyrosine
How many aromatic rings does t3/t4 have?
2
What is t4 formed form?
X2 diiodotyrosine
What is thyroglobulin?
The scaffold that thyroid hormone forms on
Thyroglobulin (134 tyrosines) - what happens to its residues?
They become iodinated
What happens to iodinated residues of thyroglobulin?
They undergo coupling reactions to make t3/t4, these stay attached until they need to be released
What 3 reactions does the enzyme thyroid peroxidase regulate?
Oxidation- idodide to iodine (needs H2O2)
Addition of iodine- to the tyrosine receptor residues of thyroglobulin
Coupling- MIT or DIT-> t3/4
Dietary iodine needs what to happen to be absorbed?
Reduced to iodide in small intestine
What are the only molecules in the body that contain iodine
Thyroid hormones and its precursors
Where is 95% of the bodies iodine
Thyroid gland
How does the thyroid get all the iodine?
Epithelial cells have sodium iodide symporter (iodide trap)
What is more active in the body t3 or t4
T3 4x more likely
What happens to 90% of t4?
Converted to t3 in the liver and kidneys
What is 80% of t3 derived from?
T4
How do t3 and t4 travel?
Bound to thyroxine binding globulin
What is the pathway of t3/4 secretion
Hypothalamus-> TRH-> ant pit-> TSH-> thyroid gland-> T3/4
What are the 2 main principal effects of thyroid hormones?
Metabolic pathway effects
Cellular differentiation and development
What type of hormone is TSH? What’s it composed of?
Glycoproteins
2 non covalently bonded subunits
What is the alpha subunit of TSH? What is the beta?
Alpha-FSH and LH
Beta-unique
How does TSH hormone cause T3/4 release?
Stimulates: Iodide uptake Iodide oxidation Thyroglobulin synthesis Thyroglobulin iodisation Colloid Pinocytosis Proteolysis of thyroglobulin Cell growth
How does TSH have such a wide range of effect?
Can couple Gs and Gq inducing cAMP and DAG/IP3
Thyroid hormones increase basal metabolic rate and heat production everywhere except?
Brain
Spleen
Testis
How does thyroid hormone increase base metabolic rate
By increasing mitochondria size and stimulating synthesis of enzymes in resp chain
What metabolic pathways does thyroid hormone predominantly stimulate
Catabolic-
Lipolysis + beta oxidation
Gluconeogenesis
Glycogenolysis
What is the so called sympathomimetics effect of thyroid hormone?
Increases target cells response to catecholamines by increasing number of receptors
What is the CVS specific effect of thyroid hormone
Increase cardiac output
Increase peripheral vasodilation
What is the nervous system specific effect of thyroid hormones
Increase myelination of nerves and development of neurons
Where are thyroid hormone receptors?
Nucleus
What modulates the gene expression that thyroid hormone has? What happens in the abscence of thyroid hormone
Transcription factors on specific genes (conformation change)
In abscence there is transcription repression
What’s goitre
Enlargement of thyroid gland
When does goitre occur?
When thyroid gland is overstimulated, this can be hypo or hyper thryroid is
What are some causes of hypothyroidism
autoimmune (hashimotos) Inadequate dietary iodine TSH/TRH defficent Surgical removal Anti-thyroid drugs
How do you treat hypothyroidism
Oral thyroid hormone
What are symptoms of hypothyroidism
Obesity Lethargy Cold intolerance Bradycardia Dry skin Slowed reflexes Constipation Menorhagia
What would serum levels show in hypothyroidism
Low t3/4, high tsh
What are some causes of hyperthyroidism?
Autoimmune (graves)
Toxic multinodular thyroid
Excessive t4 therapy
Thyroid carcinoma
What are some symtoms of hyperthyroidism
Weight loss Irritable Heat intolerance Tachy Fatigue Increased bowel movements Hyper-reflexia Loss of libido Breathless
What’s an anti-thyroid drug, what does it do?
Carbimazole
Blocks formation of thyroid hormone by preventing thyroid peroxidase
Pro drug
What is used in thyroid scans looking at uptake
Technetium 99
Short half life
What’s myxedema?
Thick puffy skin, slow speech, muscle weakness, mental deterioration seen in hypothyroid
What can hypothyroid cause in infant?
Cretinism
When can you feel a normal thyroid gland?
You can’t, if its felt its pathological
Why does the thyroid move with swallow?
Attached to tranches and larynx by pre teaches fascia
How can the thyroid be imagined?
US
Uptake scan
Where does thyroid development start in development
Foramen caecum
What’s a thyroglobulin duct cyst?
Remantents of the epithelium from development
Swelling on the midline within body of hyoid
Why is TSH a good screening tool for thyroid issues?
98% of metabolic thyroid disease is thyroid primary
Pituatry adenoma could produce excess TSH rare
Pituatry failure with just TSH change very very rare
What is the TSH level an indicator of?
What the brain thinks the thyroid function is like
What’s normal TSH range
0.505ml IU/L
What does the endocrine system seem to be particulary succeptible to ?
Autoimmune diseases
How can goitres be described?
Diffuse
Single nodule
Multinodular
When can normal thyroid function with goitre occur?
Pregnancy, menopause, menarche (1st menstruation)
What’s the most common GLOBAL form of goitre?
What’s the most common in the uk?
Iodine defficency globally
Multinodular in uk (thyroid function ok unless toxic)
What are symptoms of cretinism
Mental retardation, deaf retardation, deaf mute, short, goitre, hypothyroidism
What can multinodular goitres do to the trachea?
Enlarge inferiorly compressing trachea
What symptom doesn’t really fit with hypotyroidims?
Mennorhagia
What symptom doesn’t really fit with hyperthyroidism
Amernorhagia
What’s thyrotoxicosis?
Overproduction of thyroxine leading to anxiety, heat intolerance, shaking, palpitation, bounding pulse, lid lag and staring eyes
Why do you get lid lag in thyrotoxicosis
10% of lid control is smooth muscle,
Increase thyroxine and you get sympathomimetics
What’s can a toxic adenoma of the thyroid do?
Produce thyroxine autonomously
If you have a thyroid nodule but no metabolic disturbance, what should be investigated?
Thyroid cancer
The hypothalamic pituatry axis is the major linn between what 2 systems?
Endocrine and nervous
Where is the pituatry gland?
Beneath the hypothalamus in socket called sella turcica
What are some of the key functions covered by the hypothalamic pituatry axis?
Body growth Thyroid function Adrenal gland function Water homeostasis Lactation Reproduction
What hormones does the posterior pituatry synthesise?
It doesnt synthesise any hormones
Where does the ant pituatry arise from embryologically
Oral ectoderm (primary gut tissue)
Where does the post pituatry originate from embryologically
Neuroectoderm (primitive brain tissue)
Which part of the pituatry is connected to the hypothalamus?what connects them?
Post
Infundibulum
Where are the hormones of the posterior pituatry synthesised?
Oxytocin and ADH are produced in the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei of the hypothalamus
Hormones from the hypothalamus to the anterior pituatry go where before being released into the hypophyseal portal system?
Down axons and stored in median eminence
The hormones secreted from the ant pituatry exert effects in what way?
Endocrine
Autocrine
Paracrine
The hypophyseal portal system affects the endocrine cells of where?
Ant pituatry
The pathway between the hypothalamus and post pituatry is considered what?
Direct
The hypo-post pituatry system has what hormones, with what effects?
oxytocin- uterus contraction and milk
ADH/Vasopressin- regulate body water volume
What are tropic hormones
Hormones that affect the release of other hormones
What are the hormones released by the hypothalamus to the ant pit
TRH PRH PIH CRH GnRH GHRH GHIH
What’s TRH what does it modulate?
Thyrotropin releasing hormone
Modulates release of TSH
What’s PRH what does it regulate?
Prolactin releasing hormone
Positive control of prolactin release
What’s PIH what does it modulate? What else is it called
Prolactin release inhibition hormone.
Negative control of prolactin
Dopamine
What’s CRH, what does it regulate
Corticotropin releasing hormone
Regulates release of ACTH
What GnRH, what does it regulate
Gonadotropin releasing hormone
Regulates leutanising hormone and follicle stimulating hormone
What GHRH
Growth hormone releasing hormone
What’s GHIH
Growth hormone inhibiting hormone
What hormones are produced in the anterior pituatry?
TSH ACTH LH FSH Prolactin Growth hormone
What does TSH stand for?
Thyroid stimulating hormone
What does ACTH stand for?
Adrenocorticotropic hormone
What does LH stand for
Leutinising hormone
What is the affect of ACTH release?
Secretion of hormones from adrenal cortex
What does LH release stimulate
Ovulation and secretion of sex hormones
What does FSH stimulate
Egg and sperm developement
What does prolactin stimulate
Mammary gland development and milk secretion
What does growth hormone stimulate
Growth and energy metabolism and IGFs
What must happen for proper folding of growth hormone
Signal peptide cleavage