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Metabolism > Pituitary Gland > Flashcards

Pituitary Gland Flashcards

0
Q

What hormones does the anterior pituitary secrete?

A 
GH
ACTH
LH/FSH
TSH
Prolactin
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1
Q

What is the structural difference between the anterior and posterior pituitary glands?

A

Anterior:
Primitive gut tissue origin (upgrowth of endodermal Rathke’s pouch)
Endocrine cells

Posterior: 
Brain tissue origin (ectodermal? downgrowth)
Neuroendocrine cells (stimulated by nerves)
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2
Q

What hormones does the posterior pituitary secrete?

A

ADH

Oxytocin

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3
Q

What functions does GH have?

A
  • skeletal growth (in children)
  • gluconeogenesis
  • increase in muscle strength
  • bone density
  • cardiac function
  • emotional state (deficiency = depression)
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4
Q

What type of hormone is GH? What stimulates/inhibits GH? How does GH affect cells? What mode of release does GH have?

A

Peptide hormone

GH-releasing hormone stimulates/somatostatin inhibits

Acts on tissues via producing insulin growth factor-1 (produced by liver)

Pulsatile release (max. during sleep)

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5
Q

What does a deficiency in GH cause? How do you test for this?

A

Children:
Slow growth, delayed puberty

Adult:
Fatigue, less muscle, more fat, reduced bone density, high LDL cholesterol

Test: Insulin Tolerance Test

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6
Q

What is the Insulin Tolerance Test? What are the contra-indications?

A

Give insulin to cause hypoglycaemia —> STRESS

See if GH increases in response

Contra-indications: ischaemic heart disease, epilepsy

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7
Q

What does excess GH cause? What is the test for this?

A

Children (before epiphyseal plates fuse)
Gigantism

Adults: Acromegaly

Test: Glucose Tolerance Test

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8
Q

What is the Glucose Tolerance Test?

A

Give glucose and then measure glucose (& GH) over time

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9
Q

How is ACTH produced?

A

POMC produces beta-endorphins, alpha-MSH, and ACTH

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10
Q

What does alpha-MSH do?

A

Stimulates melanocytes to produce melanin

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11
Q

What does ACTH do? What mode of release does it have? What is it stimulated by?

A

Stimulates adrenal cortex to produce cortisol

Pulsatile release (max. morning)

Stimulated by Cortisol Releasing Hormone (CRH)

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12
Q

What does a deficiency in ACTH cause? How can you test for this?

A

Hypoglycaemia, weight loss, etc.

Insulin Tolerance Test

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13
Q

What does an excess in ACTH cause? How can you test for this?

A

Cushing’s syndrome

Dexamethasone supression test (no reduction at high dose, therefore due to excess ACTH secretion by pituitary - Cushing’s disease)

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14
Q

What do gonadotrophins do? What are they stimulated by?

A

Men:
LH —> stimulates testosterone secretion (max. morning)

FSH —> sperm production

Women:
LH —> oestrogen release during follicular phase (max. at egg release)
—> progesterone release during luteal phase (max. period)

FSH —> estradiol release (max. endometrial lining at its thickest)

Stimulated by gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH)

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15
Q

What can a gonadotrophin deficiency cause?

A

Hypogonadism

16
Q

What does thyroid stimulating hormone do? What is it stimulated by?

A

Stimulates thyroid to produce T3 & T4

Stimulated by thyroid releasing hormone

17
Q

What does prolactin do? What is the mode of secretion? What are prolactin’s target tissues? What stimulates/inhibits prolactin release?

A

Initiates and maintains lactation

Pulsatile (max. night)

Acts on peripheral tissues with no target gland (exception: breast tissue)

TRH & oestrogen have minor positive feedback effect

Dopamine has tonic inhibitory effect

18
Q

What are the symptoms of hyperprolactinaemia?

A 
Amenorrhoea 
Galactorrhoea (excessive/spontaneous lactation) 
Gynaecomastia 
Hypogonadism 
Infertility
19
Q

What are the causes of hyperprolactinaemia?

A

5 P’s:

  • pregnancy
  • physiological (stress)
  • pharmacological (drugs affecting dopamine e.g. anti-sickness & anti-psychotics)
  • pituitary (prolactinoma secreting prolactin/preventing dopamine release)
  • polycystic ovaries
20
Q

What is polycystic ovary syndrome?

A

Cysts in ovary due to arrested follicular development cause excess androgen production

S&S:

  • amenorrhoea
  • hirsutism
  • acne
  • virilisation
  • obesity
21
Q

What does ADH do? What stimulates ADH release?

A

Inserts aquaporins into collecting duct —> recycles water back into bloodstream

Low water potential in blood (high osmolality)

22
Q

What is the difference between osmolarity and osmolality?

A

Osmolarity = no. of particles per litre of solution

Osmolality = no. of particles per kg of solvent

23
Q

What does ADH deficiency cause?

A

Diabetes insipidus

24
Q

What does oxytocin cause?

A

Stimulates lactation, uterine contraction (birth), maternal behaviour (+ ejaculation/male sexual behaviour)

25
Q

How do hormones from the hypothalamus reach the pituitary?

A

Hypophyseal portal vessels (connecting capillary beds of hypothalamus and pituitary)

Therefore quick response & low levels of hormones are concentrated to cause a response

Metabolism (20 decks)

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