W24/L2: Drug effects on hypothal-pituitary axis

Question 1

Which hormones stimulate GH release?

Answer 1

Ghrelin

GHRH

Question 2

Which hormone decreases GH release

Answer 2

Somatostatin

Question 3

IGF-1 release is stimulated by which hormone?

Answer 3

GH

Question 4

GH stands for

Answer 4

Growth hormone

Question 5

GHRH stands for

Answer 5

GH releasing hormone

Question 6

What’s another name for GH?

Answer 6

Somatotropin

Question 7

IGF-1 stands for

Answer 7

Insulin-like growth factor-1

Question 8

What is Laron dwarfism cause by?

Answer 8

GH insensitivity

Question 9

How can Laron dwarfism be treated?

Answer 9

With IGF-1

Question 10

What are the side effects of IGF-1?

Answer 10

Possibly bulking (used in weight lifters)

Sometimes hypoglycaemia

Question 11

What disease does a person with too much GH have?

Answer 11

Acromegaly

Question 12

WHat treatment options are there for acromegally?

Answer 12

Tumour removal - if that’s the cause of the excessive GH

Reduce GH release via somatostatin analogues or dopamine agonists

Inhibit GH action with a GH antagonist

Question 13

What is pegvisomant?

Answer 13

A PEGylated GH antagonist

Question 14

Why is somatostatin itself not a good therapeutic for acromegaly?

Answer 14

It has a very short half-life

Question 15

How do we give somatositatin analogues resistance to metabolism/excretion?

Answer 15

Incorporating “unnatural” AAs into their structure

Question 16

What are some somatostatin analogues?

Answer 16

Octretide

Lanreotide

Question 17

Why does pegylation decrease affinity of GH for the GH-R?

Answer 17

Pegylation occurs at lysines, and there are two lysines in the binding site 1.

Question 18

How can we protect the thalamus against radioactive iodine?

Answer 18

By dosing with stable iodine - which competes for uptake.

Question 19

What is carbimazole?

Answer 19

A thioamine - inhibits thyroid peroxidase

Question 20

What’s the most common hypothyroid syndrome?

Answer 20

Hashimotos

Question 21

What’s liothyronine?

Answer 21

A T3 analogue

Question 22

What’s thyroxine?

Answer 22

A T4 analogue

Question 23

What can a rapid rise in thyroxine levels cause?

Answer 23

Tachycardia

- as it’s sympathomimetic

Question 24

What is octretide?

Answer 24

A somatostatin analogue made with “unnatural AA’s”

Question 25

What’s lanreotide

Answer 25

A somatostatin analogue made with “unnatural AA’s”