Endocrine Extra Notes

Tropic Hormone: A hormone which has a primary function of regulating hormone secretion of
another endocrine gland
Trophic Hormone: A tropic hormone aimed at maintaining the structural integrity of its target
glands
Anterior pituitary produces 6 different hormones: FSH, LH, ACTH, TSH, Prolactin, GH (Flat Pig
where i stands for ignore)
Posterior pituitary produces ADH and Oxytocin
Hypothalamus and pancreas both secrete hormone somatostatin (acts as paracrine in stomach)
Hormones
FSH

LH

Target Cells
F: Ovarian Follicles
M: Seminiferous Tubules in
testes
F: Ovarian Follicles and
Corpus Luteum
M: Interstitial cells of Leydig
in testes

ACTH
TSH
Prolactin
GH

Zona fasciculate and zona

reticularis of adrenal cortex
Thyroid Follicular cells
F: Mammary Glands
M: Uncertain
Bone and soft tissues

Liver
ADH
Oxytocin

Kidney Tubules
Arterioles
Uterus
Mammary Glands

Major Functions of Hormones

Promotes follicular growth
and development; stimulates
oestrogen secretion
Stimulates sperm production
Stimulates ovulation, corpus
luteum development,
oestrogen and progesterone
secretion
Stimulates testosterone
production
Stimulates cortisol secretion
Stimulates T3 and T4 secretion
Promotes breast
development; stimulates milk
production
Essential but not solely
responsible for growth and
exerts metabolic effects
By means of IGF-1, indirectly
stimulates growth of bones
and soft tissues; directly
stimulates protein synthesis,
mobilises fat and conserves
fat
Stimulates IGF-1 production
Increases water reabsorption
Produces vasoconstriction
Increases contractility
Causes milk ejection

Hormones effects are proportional to their concentrations in the plasma

Binding of lipophilic hormones to plasma proteins makes them less vulnerable to metabolic
inactivation
Rate of secretion of hormones are regulated by negative-feedback control, neuroendocrine
reflexes and diurnal rhythms
Hormones are usually eliminated by plasma by urinary excretion
Problems with Hormone Secretion
1) Hyposecretion primary hyposecretion is when an endocrine gland is secreting too little of
its hormone because of an abnormality within the gland; secondary occurs when there is a
deficiency of its tropic hormone
Causes genetic, dietary, chemical or toxic (certain insecticide residue may destroy the
adrenal cortex), immunologic, other disease processes (cancer or TB may destroy
endocrine glands), iatrogenic (physician induced such as surgical removal of a cancerous
thyroid gland) or idiopathic

2) Hypersecretion caused by tumours that ignore the normal regulatory input or

immunologic factors, such as excessive stimulation of the thyroid gland by an abnormal
antibody that mimics the action of TSH
3) Abnormal Target-Cell Responsiveness e.g. inborn lack of receptors for the hormone, as in
testicular feminization syndrome
Down Regulation locally acting negative-feedback mechanism important in controlling
responsiveness to insulin
*total of target-cell receptors for insulin is gradually reduced because of accelerated rate of
receptor internalisation and degradation brought about by increased hormonal binding. Rate of
synthesis of new receptors and their insertion in the plasma membrane cannot keep up the rate.
Permissiveness: one hormone must be present in adequate amounts to permit another hormone
to exert is full effect
Synergism: actions of several hormones are complementary and their combined effect is greater
than the sum of their separate effects e.g. FSH and testosterone needed to maintain rate of
sperm production
Antagonism: one hormone causes the loss of another hormones receptors e.g. progesterone
inhibits uterine responsiveness to oestrogen to decrease contractions of uterus during pregnancy
Hypothalamus and Pituitary
Pituitary Gland Development
A: Infundibulum and Rathke's
pouch develop from neural
ectoderm and oral ectoderm (roof
of mouth) respectively.
B: Rathke's pouch constricts at
base.
C: Rathke's pouch completely
separates from oral epithelium.
D: Adenohypophysis is formed by
development of pars distalis, pars
tuberalis, and pars intermedia;
neurohypophysis is formed by
development of pars nervosa,
infundibular stem, and median
eminence.

Histological appearance

Posterior
Neural

Anterior
Endocrine
(vascularised)

Branches of superior hypophyseal artery

mostly supply the neural part and anterior
pituitary gland receives the blood supply via
a portal vein (similar to liver)
Inferior hypophyseal artery supplies the
lower part of posterior pituitary gland
Inferior hypophyseal veins drain both parts

To remove pituitary tumours:

-approach through roof of mouth:
bacterial infection
-mouth/sphenoid air sinuses are
preferred because of lower
damage to the brain due to
endoscopic measures
*tumours are benign but can
grow very large which poses as a
problem
For e.g. optic tract and
cavernous sinus is close to
pitiuitary stalk can cause
bilateral hemianopia (tunnel
vision)
*Posterior pituitary connects to
the hypothalamus in a neural
pathway whereas the anterior
pituitary has a unique vascular link

Histology
Posterior lobe
(neural part)

Anterior lobe
(endocrine part)

clumps of
heterogenous
cells:
acidophils (pink)
basophils (purple)
chromophobes (pale)
capillaries

axons with dilations

The nuclei belong to pituicytes [P]
specialised glial cells
Herring bodies can often be seen
filled with neurosecretory granules

Ultrastructure of Anterior Pituitary

Note presence
of nucleus,
storage
granules,
nucleolus,
mitochondria,
endoplasmic
reticulum

Posterior Pituitary
Axons of supraoptic nucleus and paraventricular
nucleus pass down through the connecting stalk to
terminate on capillaries in posterior pituitary.
Neuronal terminals and glial-like supporting cells
called pituicytes exist there.
Neuronal cell bodies in hypothalamus synthesize
vasopressin and oxytocin (both peptide hormones)
and are packaged into secretory granules and
transported by motor proteins down the cytoplasm of
the axon. Stored in neuronal terminals.
Anterior Pituitary
ACTH is synthesized as a part of larger precursor molecule pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) which
can be cleaved to make ACTH, melanocyte-stimulating hormone and endorphin (endogenous
opioid that suppresses pain) <process is tissue-specific>
*all hormones secreted are tropic except Prolactin
Hypothalamic-hypophyseal portal system beings at the base of hypothalamus and pass down
through connecting stalk to anterior pituitary. Portal vessels branch to form most of anterior
pituitary capillaries, which in turn drain into systemic venous system (provides a private route
through releasing and inhibiting hormones can be delivered directly to anterior pituitary)
*portions of hypothalamus are not guarded by blood-brain barrier, so it can easily monitor
chemical changes in blood

Weight gain may occur from retaining excess water or storing fat without true structural growth
of tissues. Growth requires net synthesis of proteins and includes lengthening of long bones and
increase in size and number of cells in soft tissues.
Cortisol exerts several potent antigrowth effects (promote protein breakdown, inhibit growth of
long bones, block secretion of GH)
Two growth spurts: postnatal (growth in first 2 years of life) and pubertal growth spurt
Overall metabolic effect of GH: mobilize fat stores as a major energy source while sparing
glucose for glucose-dependent tissues such as the brain