Lecture 13: Endocrine control Flashcards
1) What is the primary type of gland of endocrinology?
2) What type of system are they a part of?
3) What type of signal is involved?
1) Ductless endocrine glands throughout the body
2) Functional system that is not anatomically connected
3) Chemical messengers
1) Where do endocrine glands secrete their hormones?
2) What do hormones act on? (distance-wise)
3) What cells do they act on?
1) Into blood
2) Distant cells
3) Only act on cells with receptors for the hormone
1) What balance do hormones regulate?
2) What can hormones respond to? Give 3 examples
1) Ion/ water balance
2) Adverse conditions
-Infection, trauma, stress
Which of the following do hormones contribute to?:
1) Growth and development
2) Reproduction
3) Digestion and storing nutrients
All of the above
What are the major regulatory systems? What type of responses do they consist of?
1) Nervous system: rapid precise responses
2) Endocrine system: slower responses
1) What hormones regulate the production or secretion of another hormone?
2) What do these hormones also do? What would happen if they didn’t do this?
1) Tropic hormones
2) Maintain structure of their target glands.
-The glands would atrophy.
1) Can a single gland only produce one hormone, or many?
2) Can more than one gland make a type of hormone?
3) Can a single hormone act on different cell types? Why or why not?
4) Is hormone secretion always consistent?
1) Many hormones
2) Yes; a single hormone may be produced by multiple glands
3) Yes; for different effects
4) No, hormone secretion can vary considerably
A target cell may respond to multiple hormones
Some hormones are also neurotransmitters
1) Primary function of most hormones is in what?
2) What are hormones’ effects proportional to? Is this the only factor in regulating their effects?
1) Regulating homeostasis
2) Plasma concentration; no, many factors influence effects
List 3 (of many) factors that influence a hormones effects
1) Availability and sensitivity of target cells
2) Rate of secretion
3) Rate of removal by inactivation and/or excretion (hydrophilic vs lipophilic)
How long do hydrophilic and lipophilic hormones last because of their rates of removal by inactivation and/or excretion?
Which is less vulnerable to excretion via urine?
1) Hydrophilic hormones generally last minutes to hours
2) Lipophilic hormones can persist for weeks. Less vulnerable to excretion via urine
Plasma concentration of a hormone is usually regulated by what?
Rate of secretion
List and describe 3 mechanisms for controlling secretion
1) Negative-feedback control: output counteracts input
2) Neuroendocrine reflexes: sudden increase in hormone secretion
3) Diurnal (circadian) rhythm: repetitive oscillations in hormones
1) “Output counteracts input” describes what type of mechanism to control secretion?
2) A sudden increase in hormone secretion is characteristic of what type of mechanism to control secretion?
3) Repetitive oscillations in hormones describe what?
1) Negative-feedback control
2) Neuroendocrine reflexes
3) Diurnal (circadian) rhythm
Endocrine disorders usually result from abnormal ___________ concentrations of hormones caused by _____________ or _____________.
plasma; hyper- or hyposecretion
What is a less common cause of endocrine disorders?
Target-cell dysfunction
1) Define primary hyposecretion
2) Give 6 potential causes
1) Gland abnormality results in decreased hormone secretion
2) Genetic, dietary, chemical/toxic, immunologic, Iatrogenic, idiopathic
Define secondary hyposecretion
Gland is normal but there is deficiency of its tropic hormone
1) Define primary hypersecretion
2) Give 3 potential causes. Give an example of one of these causes.
1) Gland defect resulting in excessive hormone secretion
2)
-Tumors that ignore regulatory input
-Immunologic (TSH-like antibody stimulating the thyroid gland)
-Drugs
Define secondary hypersecretion
Excessive stimulation from outside the gland causes hypersecretion
1) Endocrine dysfunction can occur due to abnormal responsiveness of what to what?
2) What is an inborn cause of endocrine dysfunction?
1) Target cells to normal plasma concentrations of a hormone
2) Lack of receptors for a hormone
1) When will target cell responsiveness be pathologic?
2) Can target cell receptors be deliberately altered? Explain and give an example
1) When unintentional
2) Yes, as a physiologic control mechanism (ex: down regulation)
1) What is down regulation?
2) What effect does it have?
3) Give an example
1) Reduction in number of receptors to a hormone in response to chronically elevated hormone levels
2) Blunts the effect of hypersecretion
3) Insulin receptor down-regulation with chronically elevated insulin
1) True or false: A hormone’s effects can also be influenced by concentrations of other hormones
2) Are target cells only exposed to one type of hormone, or many?
1) True
2) Different hormones simultaneously
1) What can hormones alter the receptors for?
2) Give 3 examples of this
1) Other hormones
2) Permissiveness, synergism, antagonism
1) Define permissiveness (in the context of hormones altering receptors for other hormones). Give an example.
2) What is the implication of this?
1) First hormone enhances target cell responsiveness to second hormone by increasing number of receptors
-Ex: TH and epinephrine
2) One hormone must be present to permit another hormone’s full effect
1) Define synergism (in the context of hormones altering receptors for other hormones). Give an example
2) What does this imply?
1) Actions of hormone are complementary, and their combined effect is greater than the sum of their separate effects
-GH hits some Sertoli cells that germinate sperm
2) Each hormone increases the concentration of or affinity to another hormone
Define antagonism (in the context of hormones altering receptors for other hormones)
One hormone causes the loss of another hormone’s receptors
-The reason why oxytocin is not released until birth
1) What gland is a small gland below the hypothalamus?
2) What are its parts?
1) Pituitary
2) Two distinct lobes; anterior and posterior pituitary
1) What is the anterior pituitary also called? What is it made of?
2) What is the posterior pituitary also called? What is it made of?
1) Adenohypophysis; glandular epithelial tissue
2) Neurohypophysis; nervous tissue
1) What do the two lobes of the pituitary have in common?
2) What about the two lobes differs?
1) Only their location (and the fact that both are controlled by the hypothalamus by different means)
2) Tissue composition, functions, and control mechanisms
1) How does the anterior pituitary connect to the hypothalamus?
2) What about the posterior pituitary?
1) A unique vascular link
2) A neural pathway
1) How are hormones stored in the posterior pituitary? Why?
2) Where are the two hormones that are stored and released here synthesized? What are they?
1) As independent vesicles so they can be released individually
2) By the hypothalamus; vasopressin (aka antidiuretic hormone) and oxytocin
1) What does vasopressin/ ADH do? (2 things)
2) What triggers it? (2 things)
1) Stimulates water reabsorption in the renal tubule and causes contraction of arteriolar smooth muscle
2) Hypothalamic osmoreceptors and left atrial volume receptors
1) What does oxytocin do? (2 things)
2) What triggers it? (2 things)
1) Stimulates uterine smooth muscle contractions (during childbirth) and promotes milk ejection from mammary glands (during breast-feeding)
2) Birth canal and nipple stimulation
Most anterior pituitary hormones are a part of what category?
Tropic
List the 6 hormones and one other things synthesized by the anterior pituitary
Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)
Luteinizing hormone (LH)
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH)
Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)
Prolactin (PRL)
Endorphins
Growth hormone (GH)
(FLAT PEG)
1) Which hormone is the only AP hormone that does not stimulate secretion of another hormone?
2) Two most important factors that regulate AP hormone secretion are what?
1) Prolactin (PRL)
2) Hypothalamic hormones and feedback by target-gland hormones
1) The secretion of each AP hormone is stimulated or inhibited by what?
2) What are these called?
1) One or more of seven hypothalamic hypophysiotropic hormones
2) Inhibiting or releasing hormones (depending on their action)
1) Which hypothalamic hormone stimulates the release of TSH?
2) Which hypothalamic hormone stimulates release of ACTH? What can dysfunction of this cause?
3) What are the two functions of somatostatin? What type of hormone is this?
1) Thyrotropin-releasing hormone
2) Corticotropin-releasing hormone
-Dysfunct. can cause immune issues, BP issues, and severe side effects
3) Inhibits release of GH and TSH; hypothalamic
1) What is Gonadotropin-releasing hormone a type of? What does it do?
2) What is GHRH (growth hormone-releasing hormone) a type of and what does it do?
1) Hypothalamic hormone; stimulates release of FSH and LH
2) Hypothalamic hormone; stimulates release of GH
1) What does dopamine do? Where does it come from?
2) What is prolactin-releasing hormone and where does it come from?
1) Inhibits release of prolactin; hypothalamus
2) Hypothetical hormone; hypothalamus
1) What are the stimulating factors of prolactin?
2) What factor has been hypothesized?
1) Very few are known.
2) Existence of prolactin-releasing hormone
What are the 7 hypophysiotropic hormones?
1) Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH)
2) Corticotropin-releasing hormone
3) Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)
4) Growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH)
5) Somatostatin
6) Dopamine
7) Prolactin-releasing hormone (PRLRh)
What is the 3 hormone chain of command involving the hypothalamus and a pituitary?
Describe its 3 steps and give an example for each step
Hypothalamic-pituitary axis:
1) Hypothalamic hypophysiotropic hormone regulates:
ex: thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH)
2) Anterior pituitary tropic hormone which regulates:
ex: thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)
3) Target gland hormone
ex: thyroid hormone (T3, T4)
The unique vascular link between the hypothalamus and the anterior pituitary is called what?
Hypothalamic-Hypophyseal Portal System
In the Hypothalamic-Hypophyseal Portal System:
1) What is being combined into what?
2) What do these pass into? What do they do after that?
3) Where do they then drain?
1) Hypothalamic capillaries into small portal vessels
2) The anterior pituitary; branch to form AP capillaries
3) Into the systemic venous system
Protein synthesis occurs under the influence of what hormone?
Growth hormone
1) True or false: weight gain is the same as growth
2) Give 2 potential causes of weight gain
3) What does growth involve?
1) False; weight gain is not the same as growth
2) Retaining water or storing fat
3) True structural growth of tissues
What does growth require? (3 things)
Synthesis of proteins, lengthening of bones, increasing the size and number of cells in tissues
List 4 factors that influence growth
1) Genetics
2) Diet
3) Health (stress and diseases)
4) Hormones
1) What factor that affects growth significantly alters maximum growth capacity?
2) Why does diet affect growth? What occurs in the case of malnourishment during childhood?
3) Normal levels of what hormones are needed for growth?
1) Genetics
2) Protein and amino acids necessary for growth; they do not achieve their full growth potential
3) GH, thyroid hormone, insulin, sex hormones
1) What two health factors can stunt growth?
2) Give 3 examples of the several effects these can have
1) Stress (cortisol) and diseases
2) Protein breakdown, long bone inhibition, GH blocking
1) What is the most abundant AP hormone (even in adults)?
2) Does it only have one effect? Explain
1) GH
2) No; has other metabolic effects
Give 4 examples of what GH does besides just the general term “growth”
1) Stimulates amino acid uptake and protein synthesis
2) Inhibits protein degradation
3) Increases cell division
4) Stimulates bone growth
Does GH directly or indirectly increase protein synthesis? Are the other factors direct or indirect? Explain
Directly increases; the other effects are indirect via insulin-like growth factors (IGFs)
What are insulin-like growth factors (IGFs)
structurally and functionally similar to?
Insulin
What are the two types of insulin-like growth factors (IGFs)? What does each do?
1) IGF-I: mediates most of GH’s growth-promoting actions
2) IGF-II: primarily important in fetal development. Role in adults unclear.
1) IGF-I variation stimulates what two things?
2) Give an example of effects of genetic variation in IGF-1 regulation. What is unique about this example?
1) hypertrophy and hyperplasia
2) Differentiates the Great Dane (has more IGF1) from the Chihuahua; no other species produces adults with such a wide size range
1) What releases IGF-1? What produces it?
2) Why?
3) Does only GH control its production?
1) Released by liver, produced by other tissues which do not actually release it into the blood.
2) Reason unclear, perhaps paracrine function
3) No, a number of other factors
List and describe 3 examples of factors other than GH effecting IGF-1 production
1) Nutrition: inadequate food reduces IGF-I despite fasting increasing GH
2) Age: dramatic increase in IGF-I during puberty
3) Tissue-specific: Local factors can increase production. E.g. gonadotropins stimulate IGF-I release into testes or ovaries
What is bone? What does it consist of?
1) A living connective tissue
2) Cells that are triggered by osteoblasts to produce extracellular matrix known as osteoid
1) What is osteoid?
2) What hardens it? Where?
1) Extracellular matrix made of collagen fibers in semisolid gel with a rubbery consistency.
2) Calcium phosphate crystal deposition within the osteoid
What activity does IGF-1 stimulate in relation to bone growth? What does it do in adolescents?
Osteoblastic activity; promotes lengthening
1) What hormones regulate GH?
2) Is there a pattern to GH secretion? Explain.
1) Two antagonistic hypophysiotropic hormones: growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) and somatostatin
2) Diurnal; increases up to five times daytime value one hour after onset of deep sleep.
When are there bursts of GH release?
In response to exercise, stress, low blood glucose
What are 3 reasons for GH deficiency?
1) Dwarfism
2) Laron dwarfism
3) Pygmyism
1) What causes dwarfism?
2) What are the effects of dwarfism?
1) GH hyposecretion in children.
2) Short stature, poorly developed muscles (reduced protein synthesis), excess subcutaneous fat (less fat mobilization)
1) What causes Laron dwarfism?
2) What causes pigmyism?
1) Unresponsive GH receptors
2) Lacking IGF-I; GH and cell responsiveness normal
1) Does GH deficiency after adolescence produce symptoms?
2) If not, explain why. If so, give examples.
1) Produces few symptoms
2) Exs: Reduced muscle mass, decreased bone density, heart disease
1) Hypersecretion of GH is usually caused by what?
2) What do the effects of hypersecretion depend on?
1) AP tumor
2) Age during hypersecretion
What effects does hypersecretion of GH have during childhood and after adolescence? What is each called?
1) Childhood: Gigantism; rapid growth without distortion of body proportions, soft tissues grow correspondingly.
2) After adolescence: Acromegaly; bones become thick, soft tissues proliferate. Disproportionate growth.
-Bone thickening obvious in the jaws and cheekbones. Hands and feet enlarge.
What do thyroid hormone, insulin, and sex steroids all effect?
Growth
When do progesterone and estrogen peak in women?
Ovulation
What element of diet can cause primary hyposecretion?
Not enough salt
What two hormones need to be working to breastfeed?
Oxytocin (eject) and PRL (produce)
Why might a man be producing milk?
Prolactinoma in pituitary
1) What does TRH stimulate?
2) What does that then stimulate?
3) What does that then stimulate?
1) TRH stimulates TSH
2) TSH stimulates T4
3) T4 stimulates TRH and TSH
Ghrelin can induce ____________ production
somatostatin
1) What are the (adult) target organs of growth hormone?
2) What does one of these then stimulate?
1) Muscle growth and liver
2) Liver produces IGF1
1) What hormone is permissive to growth hormone? Explain to what extent.
2) What does insulin promote? What does it resemble?
1) Thyroid hormone; GH effects are only fully realized when thyroid hormone levels are adequate.
2) Protein synthesis; resembles IGF-I, might interact with its receptors
What two sex steroids contribute to GH? When do they contribute to this?
Androgens and estrogen; contribute to puberty growth spurt and stop further growth by closing the epiphyseal plates
What 3 things does GH bind with? What does each do?
1) Adipose tissue: Enhances breakdown of triglycerides, making fatty acids available for energy, preserving glucose for the brain (can only use glucose but can’t store glycogen)
2) Skeletal muscles: Decreases glucose uptake by muscles (again, preserves glucose)
3) Liver tissue: Increase glucose output by liver (makes more glucose available)