Hypothalamic-Pituitary Relationships and Biofeedback Pt. 2

Question 1

What are the regions of the adrenal glands from the capsule to the medulla?

Answer 1

Capsule, zona glomerulosa, zona fasciculata, zona reticularis, medulla’s chromaffin cells

Question 2

What does the zona glomerulosa secrete?

Answer 2

Mineralocorticoid (aldosterone)

Question 3

What does the zona fasciculata secrete?

Answer 3

Glucocorticoids (cortisol) and androgens (DHEAS)

Question 4

What does the zona reticularis secrete?

Answer 4

Glucocorticoids (cortisol) and androgens (DHEAS)

Question 5

What does the medulla’s chromaffin cells secrete?

Answer 5

Catecholamines (epi and norepi)

Question 6

What hormone class do epi and norepi belong to? What are their main actions?

Answer 6

Catecholamine class; main action is rapid responder to stress (hypoglycemia and exercise)

Question 7

What hormone class does cortisol belong to? What is its main action?

Answer 7

Steroid (glucocorticoid); main action is longer-acting stress-response steroid hormone; regulates glucose utilization, immune and inflammatory homeostasis

Question 8

What hormone class does aldosterone belong to? What is its main action?

Answer 8

Steroid (mineralocorticoid); regulates salt and volume homeostasis

Question 9

What hormone class does dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) belong to? What is its main action?

Answer 9

Steroid class; androgen precursor

Question 10

Describe the low-dose dexamethasone suppression test

Answer 10

Differentiates patients with CS of any cause from patients who do not have CS; no ACTH suppression indicates CS; test doesn’t specify source of ACTH over-production

Question 11

Describe the high-dose dexamethasone suppression test

Answer 11

Distinguishes patients with CS caused by pituitary ACTH-secreting tumor from CS caused by a non-pituitary ACTH secreting tumor; used after the diagnosis of CS is made

Question 12

Describe the adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)

Answer 12

Produced in the anterior pituitary; derived from post-translational processing of POMC (pro-opiomelanocortin); is a peptide hormone

Question 13

What are causes of primary adrenal insufficiency (Addison’s disease)?

Answer 13

Autoimmune disease, adrenal hemorrhage, infection, or tumor metastases to the adrenal gland

Question 14

How is adrenal insufficiency treated?

Answer 14

Usually treated by replacing the hormones that the adrenal glands are not making; people with secondary adrenal insufficiency normally maintain aldosterone production, so they do not require mineralocorticoid replacement therapy

Question 15

What is primary hyperaldosteronism?

Answer 15

Excessive release of aldosterone from the adrenal cortex

Question 16

What is secondary hyperaldosteronism?

Answer 16

Excessive renin secretion by the juxtaglomerular cells in the kidney

Question 17

What is Conn’s syndrome?

Answer 17

Adenoma in the adrenal cortex

Question 18

What is hypoaldosteronism?

Answer 18

Destruction of the adrenal cortex; defects in aldosterone synthesis; inadequate stimulation of aldosterone secretion