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Endocrine > Physiology of the Pituitary Gland > Flashcards

Physiology of the Pituitary Gland Flashcards

1
Q

Where is the supraoptic nucleus located? What is its function?

A

Anterolaterally above the optic tract

Secretes ADH and Oxytocin

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2
Q

Where is the paraventricular nucleus located? What is its function?

A

Dorsal anterior periventricular area

Regulates appetite and SNS, and 
Secretes:
-TRH
-CRH
-ADH
-VIP
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3
Q

What is the role of the magnocellular PVN?

A

Secretes ADH and oxytocin

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4
Q

Where is the suprachiasmatic nucleus located? What is its function?

A

Above the optic chiasm, anteroventral periventricular zone

Secretes:

  • GHRH
  • GnRH
  • Dopamine
  • SRIF
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5
Q

What part of the brain secretes ADH? Function?

A

Supraoptic nucleus and PVN

Osmoregulation

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6
Q

What part of the brain secretes TRH? Function?

A

Paraventricular nucleus

regulates thyroid function

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7
Q

What part of the brain secretes CRH? Function?

A

Parvocellular PVN

Regulates adrenocortical function

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8
Q

Besides secreting various hormones, what does the paraventricular nucleus play a role in?

A

regulates the SNS and appetite

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9
Q

What part of the brain secretes VIP? Function?

A

parvocellular PVN

Suprachiasmatic nucleus

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10
Q

What part of the brain secretes GHRH? Function?

A

Arcuate nucleus and ventromedial nucleus

Stimulates growth hormone

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11
Q

What part of the brain secretes GnRH? Function?

A

Arcuate nucleus

Regulation of pituitary gonadotropins

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12
Q

What is the function of dopamine secretion in the arcuate nucleus?

A

Functions as PIH

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13
Q

What part of the brain secretes SRIF? Function?

A

Periventricular and arcuate nuclei

Inhibits GHRH release

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14
Q

What is the “satiety” center of the brain?

A

Ventromedial nucleus

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15
Q

Where is the arcuate nucleus located? What is its function (4)?

A

medial basal hypothalamus; close to the third ventricle

Secretes:

  • GHRH
  • GnRH
  • dopamine
  • SRIF
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16
Q

Where is the periventricular nucleus located? What is its function?

A

Anteroventral hypothalamus

Secretes SRIF which inhibits the secretion of growth hormone

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17
Q

What is the function of the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus?

A

Functions as a satiety center, and secretes:

  • GHRH
  • SRIF
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18
Q

What is the function of the dorsomedial nucleus of the hypothalamus?

A

focal point of information processing

-receives input from the VMN and lateral hypothalamus and projects to the PVN

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19
Q

What part of the hypothalamus functions as a hunger center? satiety center?

A 
hunger = lateral hypothalamus
Satiety = Ventromedial
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20
Q

What is the function of the lateral hypothalamus?

A

Hunger center

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21
Q

What is the function of the preoptic area?

A

GnRH

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22
Q

What part of the hypothalamus is the “cooling center”?

A

Anterior hypothalamus

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23
Q

What part of the hypothalamus serves as the thirst regulator?

A

AVOV region

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24
Q

What are the two functions of the anterior hypothalamus?

A

thermoregulation and thirst regulation

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25
Q

What part of the hypothalamus serves as the regulator of the circadian rhythm?

A

Suprachiasmatic nucleus

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26
Q

What is the”heating center” of the brain?

A

Posterior hypothalamus

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27
Q

What is the function of the posterior hypothalamus?

A

heating center

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28
Q

What are the four major ways in which cells communicate with one another?

A

Gap junctions
Synaptic
Paracrine
Endocrine

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29
Q

Specificity of gap junctions depends on what? Synapses? Paracrine? Endocrine?

A
  • Gap junctions = anatomic location
  • Synaptic = anatomic location and receptors
  • Paracrine = receptors
  • Endocrine = receptors
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30
Q

What is intracrine signalling?

A

When cells make signals that do not exit the cell

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31
Q

What determines the specificity of hormones, generally?

A

Receptors

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32
Q

Water soluble hormones act where? Lipid soluble?

A

Water soluble = cell membrane

Lipid soluble = intracellularly

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33
Q

GTP is bound to which protein subunit in the G-protein coupled receptor? What happens to this, as compared to the others?

A

Alpha subunit

Moves to activate adenylyl cyclase, whereas the gamma and beta subunit stay put

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34
Q

What are the three types of feedback loops that can occur with the endocrine system?

A

Ultra short
Short
Long

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35
Q

Where is the hypothalamus located in the brain?

A

Floor and lateral walls of the third ventricle

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36
Q

Suprachiasmatic nucleus receives fibers from what part of the brain to regulate body rhythms?

A

Retinohypothalamic

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37
Q

What, generally, describes the ultrashort feedback loop in the HPA axis? Short? Long?

A

Ultrashort = Hypothalamus acting on itself

Short = anterior pituitary feedback onto the hypothalamus

Long = target organ feeding back on the hypothalamus

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38
Q

The area of the hypothalamus where the portal vessels arise is what?

A

The median eminence

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39
Q

What are the two nuclei of the hypothalamus that send their axons down into the posterior pituitary?

A

Supraoptic

Paraventricular

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40
Q

What are the specialized glial cells found in the posterior pituitary?

A

Pituicytes

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41
Q

The posterior pituitary is connected to hypothalamus via what tract?

A

hypothalamohypophysial tract

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42
Q

What is SRIF?

A

Somatotropin release-inhibiting factor

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43
Q

What is PIH?

A

Prolactin inhibiting hormone

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44
Q

What is the hypothalamic nucleus that controls the circadian rhythm? What are the two places this receives input from?

A

-Suprachiasmatic nucleus

  • Lateral geniculate nucleus
  • Retinohypothalamic tract
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45
Q

The anterior pituitary secretes 6 hormones. 4 of them a tropic hormones. What are these?

A
  • ACTH
  • TSH
  • FSH
  • LH
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46
Q

What are tropic hormones?

A

Hormones that have effects on the morphology and secretory activity of other endocrine glands

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47
Q

What subunit of the tropic hormones determines its specificity? Which subunit do they have in common?

A
  • Beta determines specificity

- Alpha they all have in common

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48
Q

Adrenocorticotropic hormone is made where?

A

The corticotroph cells in the anterior pituitary

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49
Q

Corticotrophs first synthesize a large precursor protein known as what? What does this turn into?

A

Proopiomelanocortin (POMC)

Hydrolyzed to ACTH and beta-lipotropin

50
Q

ACTH is released in what sort of pattern? What does this translate to with cortisol release?

A

Pulsatile

Means that cortisol is released in a pulsatile fashion

51
Q

What is the function of ACTH?

A

Stimulates the synthesis of Cortisol, androgens, and aldosterone

52
Q

What is the function of effect of ACTH on melanocytes?

A

Binds to melanotropin-1 receptors to accelerate melanin synthesis

53
Q

Do androgens feedback on ACTH synthesis?

54
Q

How can primary adrenal insufficiency cause hyperpigmentation?

A

The anterior pituitary makes too much ACTH since feedback inhibition does not occur

55
Q

What releasing factor from the hypothalamus causes the release of ACTH?

A

CRH (corticotropin releasing hormone)

56
Q

What is the function of thyrotropin (TSH)?

A

Simulates the thyroid to produce T4 and T3

57
Q

Why can Iodine deficiency cause the growth of a goiter?

A

TSH will be upregulated when it does not sense T3 or T4, which are not produced if there is insufficient Iodine

58
Q

What is the releasing factors for TSH? What else does this stimulate the release of?

A

Thyroid releasing hormone

Prolactin

59
Q

What causes the release of FSH?

60
Q

What is the function of FSH in females? Males?

A 
Females = Growth of ovaries
Males = Sperm maturation
61
Q

What causes the release of LH?

62
Q

What is the function of LH in males and females?

A 
Males = stimulation of testosterone synthesis
Females = Stimulation of ovulation, formation of corpus luteum
63
Q

What are the cells that make GH? What is/are the releasing factor(s)?

A

Somatotropes

GHRH increases release, somatostatin inhibits

64
Q

What is the other name for growth hormone inhibiting hormone?

A

Somatostatin

65
Q

What are the other names for Growth hormone?

A

Somatotropic hormone or Somatotropin

66
Q

What are the two forms of growth hormone that are released?

A

nGH and a splice variant that lacks several amino acids

67
Q

What is the effect of Ghrelin?

A

a GH secretagogue from the stomach and other places that acts on a difference receptor than GHRH, to stimulate GH secretion

68
Q

What is the basic function of GH?

A

Stimulates protein synthesis and overall growth of most cells and tissues

Stimulates production of IGF

69
Q

How is GH secreted?

A

Pulsatile fashion

70
Q

When is GH secretion highest?

A

Highest = night during deep sleep

Higher in adolescence

71
Q

What cells produce prolactin?

A

Lactotrophs (mammotrophs)

72
Q

What is Sheehan syndrome?

A

postpartum hypopituitarism that results from ischemic necrosis of the pituitary

73
Q

True or false: Nipple stimulation in nonpregnant women also increases PRL.

74
Q

How is prolactin regulated?

A

• Release is predominantly under tonic inhibition by the hypothalamic hormone, prolactin-inhibiting hormone (PIH). PIH is the catecholamine dopamine.

75
Q

What is the effect of TSH on prolactin?

A

Induces its release

76
Q

Which has a stronger effect: the inhibition of prolactin secretion by dopamine (PIH), or increased release of prolactin by TSH

A

Inhibition by dopamine

77
Q

What happens to prolactin levels if damage occurs to the portal blood circulation which dopamine and TRH use to travel to the anterior pituitary?

A

increased prolactin levels

78
Q

• If dopamine reaching anterior pituitary decreases then prolactin release (increases/decreases)

79
Q

Is prolactin related to sleep? Circadian rhythm?

A

Increased release 60 minutes after sleeping, but is not related to the circadian rhythm

80
Q

What is the effect of prolactin on • If dopamine reaching anterior pituitary decreases then prolactin release increases in females? Male spermatogenesis?

A

Inhibits ovulation

Inhibits spermatogenesis

81
Q

What is the most predominant cell type of the anterior pituitary gland?

A

Somatotropes

82
Q

What are the two breakdown products of POMC?

A

ACTH and beta-LPH

83
Q

What is aldosterone regulated by?

A

Angiotensin II and [K]

84
Q

What are the short and long feedback mechanisms for cortisol?

A

ACTH feedback on hypothalamus = short

Cortisol feedback on hypothalamus = long

85
Q

true or false: the cholesterol based hormones do not really feedback onto the corticotropin releasing pathway

86
Q

What is the active hormone: T3 or T4? Which is released in larger amounts?

A

T3 is active, T4 released in larger amounts

87
Q

What is T3 and T4 bound to in the serum?

A

Thyroid binding globulin

88
Q

Thyroxin = (T3 or T4)?

89
Q

What happens in the ovarian cycle just prior to the FSH/LH spike?

A

Spike in estradiol

90
Q

Where does GH go to? What does this cause?

A

Liver to cause the release of somatomedins (IGFs)

91
Q

Can IGF feedback to the pituitary?

92
Q

What are the effects of growth hormone on adipose tissue?

A

Increased lipolysis

Decreased glucose uptake

93
Q

What are the effects of GH on muscle cells?

A

Increased protein synthesis

Decreased glucose uptake

94
Q

What is the effect of IGF-1 on somatostatin neurons?

A

Increases somatostatin release

95
Q

What happens to GH release with aging in adults?

96
Q

What is the general effect of prolactin?

A

Increased breast tissue differentiation to produce milk

97
Q

Where in the hypothalamus are vasopressin and oxytocin synthesized?

A

Magnocellular neurons in the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei of the hypothalamus

98
Q

Where does the processing of the prepro-hormones of ADH and oxytocin take place?

A

Hormone processing occurs as the neurosecretory vesicles are transported down the hypothalamic-hypophysial tract.

99
Q

Where are ADH and oxytocin stored?

A

At the end of the neuronal neurons (Herring bodies)

100
Q

What is the cause of neurogenic diabetes insipidus?

A

Some lesion in the hypothalamus, pituitary, or the connection between

101
Q

What is the cause of nephrogenic diabetes insipidus?

A

Mutation that affects the production and insertion of the aquaporins

102
Q

What is psychogenic diabetes insipidus?

A

Increased intake of water causes polyuria

103
Q

What is SIADH?

A

Producing concentrated urine when not needed or wanted

104
Q

Is the hyponatremia in SIADH true or pseudohyponatremia? Why or why note?

A

This is not pseudohyponatremia since plasma sodium concentration is low and plasma osmolarity is also low.

105
Q

What is the main stimulus for the secretion of ADH?

A

Increased osmotic pressure

106
Q

Where does Li act to cause diabetes insipidus (kidney or the brain)?

107
Q

The release of oxytocin is stimulated when?

A

During breastfeeding and childbirth.

108
Q

What causes the milk-let down reflex?

A

Afferent signals from the nipples of the mother’s breast when an infant suckles result in the release of oxytocin which then causes the milk let-down reflex

109
Q

What role does oxytocin play in the birthing process?

A

By term of pregnancy the mother’s uterus has experienced an up- regulation in the number of oxytocin receptors. Distension of the cervix and contraction of the uterus stimulate the release of oxytocin which results in positive feedback and the release of more oxytocin which further increases the contractility of the uterus. This aids in the delivery of the baby and the involution of the uterus after childbirth.

110
Q

What is the role of oxytocin in the hypothalamus?

A

oxytocin is released in the hypothalamus (in the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei) where it acts in an autocrine fashion. Oxytocin in the hypothalamus acts via positive feedback to increase the release of oxytocin from the posterior pituitary.

111
Q

Which does milk production and which does milk ejection?

A 
Production = Prolactin
Expulsion = oxytocin
112
Q

What is the effect of GH on the breakdown of protein?

113
Q

What is the effect of GH on the release of fat?

114
Q

What is the effect of GH on the glucose uptake?

115
Q

What is the effect of GH on the glucose synthesis by the liver?

116
Q

What is the effect of GH on the insulin secretion?

117
Q

What is the effect of GH on long bones?

A

Stimulates osteoblasts to increase bone length and density

118
Q

What are the hormones that GH induces the liver to release?

A

IGF (somatomedins)

119
Q

How is GH secreted? How is this modified?

A

Pulsatile

Strenuous exercise increases, and starvation

120
Q

What is panhypopituitarism?

A

Congenital defect (or tumor destroying) leading to a loss of all of the pituitary hormones

121
Q

What are the causes of dwarfism?

A

Inability to form somatomedin C (IGF-1) or too little GH

122
Q

What is acromegaly?

A

Enlargement of the hands and feet, protruding jaw, swelling of organs d/t GH secretion

(this occurs after epiphyseal plates have closed, so no increase in height)

Endocrine (32 decks)

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