Physio - Endocrinology Flashcards
What is endocrinology?
Basics:
- cellular chemical communication system & information transfer
Maintain Internal Homeostasis:
- Support Cell Growth
- Coordinate Development
- Facilitate Responses to External Stimuli
Communication:
- Signal is received
- Signal is amplified
- Response –> change in protein levels/assocations
- Specificity = possible at all levels
- Feedback = possible
What are tropic hormones?
Basics:
- derived from the pituitary
- regulate synthesis/secretion of other hormones
Anterior Pituitary
- Thyroid
- TSH
- Adrenal Cortex
- ACTH
- Bone/Muscle
- GH
- Testes/Ovaries
- LH/FSH
- Mammary
- Prolactin (PRL)
- Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH)
Posterior Pituitary
- Kidney = ADH
- Uterus = Oxytocin
Endocrine vs Exocrine
Endocrine Glands “ductless”
- thyroid, pineal, pituitary, pancreas, hypothalamus, adrenal
- release chemicals directly into cells/surrounding tissue
- regulate/maintain events
- metabolism, menstruation, uterine, reproductive
- PTH, Calcitonin, etc
Exocrine Glands “ducts”
- salivary, sweat, mammary, digestive
- release secretions thru duct –> directly to external or internal surface
- regulate events:
- temp via sweat glands; eye via lacrimal glands
- Sebacous/Eccrine/Apocrine
What are the 5 Methods of Communication?
-
Classic endocrine
- hormones travel –> bloodstream to target
-
Paracrine
- hormones –> act on adjacent cells
-
Autocrine
- hormones –> release & act on same cell
-
Synaptic Signal
- synapse, neurons secrete neurotransmitters short distance
-
Neuroendocrine Signaling
- secrete neurohormones –> target cells via bloodstream
A simple endocrine pathway
Hypothalamus —> Adenohypophysis —> Target Organ
- Ex: GHRH –> GH –> Liver (and all body)
Hypothalamus —> Neurohypophysis —> Target Organ
- Ex: Oxytocin —> Mammary gland
Control Pathway of Cortisol
What are the 2 Types of Hormones?
-
Water soluble
- synthesized in endocrine cells
- packaged into secretory vesicles
- exocytosis
- freely soluble in blood
-
Lipid soluble
- synthesized in endocrine cells
- NOT packaged
- passively diffuse out of endocrine cell
- get complexed w/ blood proteins (globulins)
Note:
- The solubility of a hormone = correlates w/ the location of their receptors inside/on surface of target cell
What are the 3 Major Classes of Hormones?
-
Polypeptides
- proteins/peptides
-
Amines
- derived from AAs
- Water soluble = Surface receptor
-
Steroids
- Vitamin D
- Lipid = Intracellular receptor
What messanger system do Cell-surface receptors activate?
Second messenger systems
- Cell surface receptors = couple w/ 2nd messanger systems
- lead to QUICK reaction from cell
Second messanger systems include:
- Adenylate cyclase = ATP –> cyclic AMP
- Guanylate cyclase = GTP –> cyclic GMP
- Ca & Calmodulin; Phospholipase C –> catalyzes phosphoinositide turnover —> inositol phosphates (IP) + diacylglycerol (DAG)
Each 2nd messanger system activates a specific protein kinase enzyme:
- protein kinases
- Ca/Calmodulin-dependent protein kinase
- leads to cascade
How do hormone levels vary?
-
Rise/fall due to synthesis of hormone & degradation
- target cell binding = small fraction of removal of hormone from circulation
- Target cell receptors, transducers, effector levels can change
- age, sex, physiological or dev. states can affect this
Note:
- Cells can make more than one hormone
- Same hormone –> affect target cells differently because:
- different receptors for hormone
- different signal transduction pathways
Example: Epinephrine
- Liver = break down glucose
- Skeletal muscle = dilate vessels
- GI = constrict vessels
Mechanisms of Endocrine Disease
- Hormone Deficiency
- Hormone Excess
- Usually = Disease
- Hormone Resistance
What is the relationship btw Steroid Hormones and Cancers?
- Steroids/hormones = act in cell-type/gene specific manner
- regulate metabolism, inflammation, cancer, immunity, etc
Estrogen
- Hormone =
- necessary for dev. and growth of breast/organs
- helps maintain heart & healthy bones
- Over-expression = can lead to breast cancer
- blocking synthesis of estrogen = effective at preventing breast cancer
- via aromastase inhibitors
- BAD PART: leads to other cancers
- blocking synthesis of estrogen = effective at preventing breast cancer
Cancer
- Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs)
- Ex: Tamoxifen
- regulate a subset of normal gene fxn
- clinically used but can be 100% –> 0% efficacy
- Ex: Tamoxifen
What are Spare receptors and how are they involved with dosing?
Spare receptors:
- based on relationship that max biological activity = 5%-10% of receptors are bound
- GREATER # of receptors = GREATER sensitivity for hormone
Dosing:
- Increase Potency (lower Km) = more receptors
- Decreased Potency (higher Km) = less receptors
Therapeutic Index:
- Larger TI = Safer the drug
- Smaller TI = Higher potential for toxicity