Pharmacology Flashcards
What sort of glands are in the endocrine system?
Ductless
How is signal specificity achieved?
Chemically distinct hormones
Specific hormone receptors
Distinct receptor distribution
What are the features of amine hormones? (Synthesis, storage, release and transport)
Pre-synthesised: - Formed by enzymes Stored in vesicles Released in response to calcium Transported free in plasma (hydrophilic)
What are the features of peptide + protein hormones? (Synthesis, storage, release and transport)
Pre-synthesised: - From longer precursor via proteolysis Stored in vesicles Calcium causes release Transported free in plasma
What are the features of steroids hormones? (Synthesis, storage, release and transport)
Synthesised and secreted on demand
Stimuli increase:
- Cholesterol uptake
- Rate of conversion to pregnenolone (rate limiting)
Transport:
- 90% bound to plasma proteins (lipophilic)
- Free if biologically active
What hormones are insoluble?
Steroids
Thyroxine
What are the functions of carrier proteins?
Increase hormone transport in blood
Prevent renal filtration
Prevent rapid excretion
What does cortisol-binding globulin bind?
Cortisol
+ aldosterone
What does thyroxine-binding globulin bind?
T4 selectively (+ some T3)
What does SHBG bind?
Testosterone
Oestradiol
What do albumin and transthryretin bind?
Albumin: - Steroids - T4 Transthyretin: - T4 - Some steroids
What do carrier proteins act as?
Buffers and reservoirs:
- Main constant [Free hormone] in blood - Keep bound and free hormones in equilibirum
What hormones can cross capillary walls?
Free hormones
What happens when free hormone is removed from the plasma?
Replaced by dissociation of bound protein
What is the primary determinant of hormone plasma concentration?
Rate of secretion
What does neuroendocrine release cause?
A sudden burst in secretion to meet a stimulus:
- eg. Stress -> Hypothalamus -> CRH -> ACTH -> Cortisol
How does diurnal rhythm release work?
Secretion fluctuates with time
Entrained to external cues (Night/Day)
What organs are the most important locations for elimination of hormones?
Liver
Kidney
What are the half lives of:
- Amine hormones
- Protein/Peptide hormones
- Steroids/T3 +T4
Amines -> Seconds
Proteins/Peptides -> Minutes
Steroids/T3+T4 -> Hours to days
What affects the half lives of hormones?
Protein binding
Where are G-protein coupled receptors found and what hormones activate them?
On cell surface
Activated by:
- Amines
- Some proteins/peptides
What do G-protein coupled receptors couple with?
Gs
Gi
Gq
Where are receptor kinases found and what hormones activate them?
On cell surface
Activated by some proteins and peptides
Where are nuclear receptors found and why are they found here?
Intracellularly:
- Ligands are lipophilic
> Can diffuse across cell membrane
What activates Class 1 Nuclear receptors? What happens when they are activated?
Many steroids:
- Migrate to nucleus on binding
What happens when Class 1 Nuclear Receptors are inactive?
Bound to inhibitory heat shock proteins in the cytoplasma
What activates Class 2 Nuclear receptors? Where are they found?
Mostly by lipids
In the nucelus
What activates the hybrid class nuclear receptors? What are they similar to?
T3 (+others)
Similar to Class 1
What happens when adrenaline, CRH or glucagon binds to a GPCR?
- Gs subunit uncouples
- Binds to adenylyl cyclase
- Promotes ATP -> cAMP
- cAMP activates Protein Kinase A
- Target protein phosphorylation -> Effects
What happens when melatonin binds to a GPCR?
- Gi subunit uncouples
- Binds to adenylyl cyclase
- Inhibits ATP -> cAMP
- Less Protein Kinase A activation
- Less target protein phosphorylation -> Inhibits effects
What happens when angiotensin ii, GRH or TRH binds to a GPCR?
- Gq subunit uncouples
- Binds to phospholipase C
- Promotes PIP2 -> IP3
- IP3 binds to IP3 receptor on endoplasmic reticulum
- Calcium released
- Cellular effects
What other effects does the hydrolysis of PIP2 to IP3 have?
- Produces DAG
- DAG activates Protein Kinase C (in membrane)
- Target proteins are phosphorylated -> Effects
What happens when insulin binds to a receptor kinase?
- Autophosphorylation of intracellular tryosine residues
- Insulin receptor substrate proteins are phosphorylated
- Cellular effects
How does signalling via Class 1 Nuclear Receptors work?
- Steroid diffuses into cell
- Binds to intracellular receptor + HSP dissociates
- Moves to nucleus
- Forms a dimer + binds to hormone response elements in DNA
- Transactivation or Transrepression occurs
- mRNA levels altered
- Rate of protein synthesis changes
- Protein levels altered
What drugs increase insulin secretion?
SUs
Incretin mimetics
Glinides
DPP-4 inhibitors (Gliptins)
What drugs reduce insulin resistance and reduce hepatic glucose output?
Biguanides
TZDs (Glitazones)
What drugs slow glucose absorption from the GI tract?
α-glucosidase inhibitors