Steroids Flashcards
What is the role of the Medulla?
- Secretes catecholamines (part of ANS)
- Secretes A and NA
What is the role of the Cortex?
- Secretes mineralcorticoids, glucocorticoids, cortisol and adrenal sex hormones
List the Adrenal Hormones
- Glucocorticoids
- Mineralcorticoids
- Androgens
What is the role of Glucocorticoids?
- Cortisol
- increases blood pressure and blood sugar level and reduces immune responses
What is the role of Mineralcorticoids?
- Aldosterone
- hormone that causes the tubules of the kidneys to retain sodium and water
- increases volume of fluid in the body, drives blood pressure up
- part of RAAS
- hormone that causes the tubules of the kidneys to retain sodium and water
What is the role of Androgens?
- DHEA
- natural steroid precursor of testosterone with some activity of its own
- testosterone (produced by testes and adrenals)
Physiological Effects of Adrenocortical Steroids
What is Glucose Metabolism’s Effect on the Body?
- Stimulates gluconeogenesis
- Decreases glucose use by tissues
Physiological Effects of Adrenocortical Steroids
What is Protein Metabolism’s Effect on the Body?
- Increases breakdown of protein
- Increases plasma protein levels
Physiological Effects of Adrenocortical Steroids
What is Fat Metabolism’s Effect on the Body?
- Increase of mobilsation of fatty acids
- Increase of use of fatty acids
Physiological Effects of Adrenocortical Steroids
What is Anti-Inflammatory action and Immunosuppression Effect on the Body?
- Stabilise lysosomal membranes in inflammatory cells preventing release of inflammatory mediators
- Decrease of capillary permeability to prevent oedema
- Depresses phagocytosis
- Suppresses atrophy of lymphoid tissue
- Decreases fever
- Suppresses immune response
- Inhibits fibroblast activity
Physiological Effects of Adrenocortical Steroids
What is Psychological Effect on the Body?
- Contribute to emotional instability
Physiological Effects of Adrenocortical Steroids
What is Permissive Effect on the Body?
- Facilitates the response of the tissues to humoral and neural influences during trauma and extreme stress
What is the role of the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis?
- Cortisol feedsback to the hypothalamus to control release of CRH
- High levels of cortisol in the blood inhibit release of CRH by the hypothalamus, consequently less ACTH is released by the anterior pituitary, which in turn, causes less cortisol to circulate in the blood
What effects can stress have on the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis?
What is HPA a key factor in?
- Stress can have immunosuppressive effects and the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) is a key factor in the neural modulation of the immune system
Describe the Anti-Inflammatory and Immunosuppresive Effects of Glucocorticoids
- Decrease in number of eosinophils, lymphocytes and monocytes
- Decrease leukocyte migration and phagocytic activity
- Decrease production of phospholipase A2, prostaglandins, thromboxanes and leukotrienes