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B3 CTB > Neuroendocrinology > Flashcards

Neuroendocrinology Flashcards

1
Q

What is neuroendocrinology?

A

A branch of biological sciences dealing with the interactions between the nervous system and the endocrine system

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2
Q

What are the two major sites of neurosecretion?

A
  • Hypothalamus
  • Pituitary
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3
Q

What are parvocellular neurosecretory cells?

A

Small neuroendocrine cells, located in various nuclei of the hypothalamus, which signal to the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland via ‘releasing hormones’

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4
Q

What are magnocellular neurosecretory cells?

A

Large neuroendocrine cells with cell bodies located in the paraventricular nucleus or supraoptic nucleus of the hypothalamus. Their axons project down into the posterior lobe of the pituitary gland, where they release hormones into the general circulation

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5
Q

Which other endocine glands can be stimulated by hormones secreted from the pituitary?

A
  • Adrenal
  • Thyroid
  • Gonad
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6
Q

If multiple glands are involved in regulating downstream targets, what is this described as?

A

A hormonal signalling axis

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7
Q

Give examples of functions controlled by the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland

A
  • Blood pressure and electrolyte composition
  • Body temperature, metabolic thermoregulation
  • Energy metabolism, metabolic rate
  • Reproduction, mating, pregnancy and lactation
  • Stress response, adrenal hormones
  • Growth, growth hormone
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8
Q

What are the four regions of the hypothalamus? (A - P)

A
  • Preoptic area
  • Supraoptic region (anterior)
  • Tuberal region (middle)
  • Mammillary region (posterior)
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9
Q

What are the anatomical relations of the hypothalamus?

A

The hypothalamus is located directly underneath the thalamus and forms the base and side walls of the third ventricle

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10
Q

Why is the hypothalamus ideally situated for its role in maintaining homeostasis?

A

At the location of the hypothalamus, the blood brain barrier is incomplete which allows for contact between the circulating cerebrospinal fluid and the cells of the hypothalamus surrounding the ventricles

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11
Q

What division of the nervous system does the hypothalamus form part of?

A

Diencephalon

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12
Q

How many nuclei are present in the hypothalamus? What are they called and what are their functions?

A

13

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13
Q

What do the supraoptic nuclei primarily control?

A

Parasympathetic function

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14
Q

What do the tuberal nuclei primarily control?

A

Thirst and feeding behaviours

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15
Q

What do the mammillary nuclei primarily control?

A

Sympathetic function

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16
Q

What connects the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus?

A

The pituitary stalk/infundibulum

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17
Q

What is the sella turcica?

A

This is saddle shaped depression in the sphenoid that contains and protects the pituitary gland

18
Q

What are the two main pathways that connect the hypothalamus to the pituitary gland?

A
  • Tuberoinfundibular, also termed the tuberohypophyseal which innervates the portal veins to the anterior pituitary (adenohypophysis) to control hormonal release
  • Hypothalamohypophyseal - which innervates the posterior pituitary (neurohypophysis)
19
Q

How does dopamine secretion from the hypothalamus affect prolactin secretion by the anterior pituitary?

A

It inhibits prolactin secretion

20
Q

How does prolactin secretion affect dopamine secretion?

A

Prolactin secretion from the anterior pituitary enhances dopamine secretion

21
Q

How does the hypolthalamus control the release of hormones from the posterior lobe of the pituitary gland in a direct way?

A

Unmyelinated axonal projections from magnocellular neurons of the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei project directly to the posterior pituitary and release vasopressin (ADH) and oxytocin directly into the systemic circulation

22
Q

What are pituicytes?

A

Astrocyte like neuroglial cells which have cytoplasmic processes that surround the axons in the pituitary

23
Q

What does vasopressin (ADH) regulate?

A

Vasopressin (ADH) controls water retention (and thus osmolarity) and blood pressure (through altering vessel resistance)

24
Q

What does oxytocin regulate?

A

Oxytocin controls sexual reproduction (including labour and milk production) and behavioural effects related to social bonding

25
Q

Where are vasopressin and oxytocin produced?

A

Both hormones are synthesised in the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei of the hypothalamus. They are released into the circulation from the posterior lobe of the pituitary gland

26
Q

What are the three major hypothalamic axes?

A

The three axes are:

1) Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) - regulating stress responses
2) Hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) - regulating general metabolic rate
3) Hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal/ovarian (HPG/HPO) - regulating reproduction

27
Q

Which hormones are released by the hypothalamus and pituitary in the HPA axis?

A

Hypothalamus; Vasopression (VP), Corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH)

Pituitary; Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)

28
Q

Which hormones are released by the hypothalamus and pituitary in the HPT axis?

A

Hypothalamus; Thyroid releasing hormone (TRH)

Pituitary; Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)

29
Q

What hormones are released by the hypothalamus and pituitary in the HPG axis?

A

Hypothalamus; Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH)

Pituitary; Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and Lutenizing hormone (LH)

30
Q

In females, why can oestrogen and progesterone have both positive and negative feedback effects on the hypothalamus and pituitary?

A

The effects of oestrogen and progesterone on the feedback loop are dependent on where the woman is in the menstrual cycle, which affects the amount of oestrogen and progesterone produced

31
Q

Which neuroendocrine axis regulates general metabolic rate?

A

HPT

32
Q

Which hypothalamic nuclei are responsible for the control of thirst?

A
  • Laternal (LH, zona incerta)
33
Q

Which hypothalamic nuclei are responsible for the control of thermoregulation?

A

Anterior (AH) and Posterior (PH)

34
Q

Which hypothalamic nuclei are responsible for the control of hunger?

A
  • Arcuate nucleus (ARC)
  • Ventromedial (VMH)
35
Q

Which hypothalamic nuclei are responsible for the control of blood pressure?

A
  • Preoptic
  • Dorsomedial and posterior (PH)

Plus contributions from supraoptic, dorsomedial and others via osmoregulation/cardiac rate etc)

36
Q

Which hypothalamic nuclei are responsible for the control of diurnal rhythm?

A
  • Suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)
  • Dorsal (DH)
37
Q

Why could a pituitary tumour cause visual deficits? And what is the most common deficit seen with pituitary tumours?

A

The pituitary sits adjacent to the optic chiasm and as the tumour grows it can compress the chiasm. This most commonly causes bitemporal hemianopia, where the patient loses the outer half of both visual fields

38
Q

What four systems does the hypothalamus interact with to control bodily function? (HINT: HEAL)

A

Homeostatic

Endocrine

Autonomic

Limbic

39
Q

What does the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland respond to?

What does the posterior lobe of the pituitary gland respond to?

A

Hormones from the portal system.

Hormones directly released from neurons.

40
Q

Name some anterior pituitary hormones.

A

B3 CTB (13 decks)

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