Hypothalamic ® Pituitary ®End Organ Path

 
 
Growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) (+) ® growth hormone {somatotropin, GH)®Liver ® insulin-like growth factors (IGF, somatomedins)
Somatotropin releasing-inhibiting hormone (SRIH, somatostatin) (-) ® growth hormone {somatotropin, GH)®Liver ® insulin-like growth factors (IGF, somatomedins)
Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) (+) ® adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) ® Adrenal cortex ® glucocorticoids, mineralocorticoids, androgens
Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) (+) ® thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) ®thyroid ® thyroxine, triiodothyronine
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) (+) ®(follicle-stimulating hormone {FSH}; luteinizing hormone {LH}) ® gonads ® estrogen, progesterone, testosterone
Dopamine (-) ® prolactin ® breast

adapted from Table 37-1: Fizgerald, P.A. and Klonoff, D.C. Hypothalamic and Pituitary Hormones, in Basic and Clinical Pharmacology, (Katzung, B. G., ed) Appleton-Lange, 1998, p 604.

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Mechanisms of Hormone Action

GHRH, CRH, GnRH, TSH, ACTH, FSH, LH, and Dopamine receptors associated G protein-GTP complex® adenylyl cyclase activation ®­cAMP production ® protein kinase activation ® ­intracellular protein phosphorylation ® ­hormonal effects
Dopamine receptor -- Gi protein coupling (lactotroph receptor system) ® ¯ decreased adenylyl cyclase activity ® ¯ decreased prolactin secretion
Growth hormone: a-GTP complex related to somatostatin receptors ®potassium channels ®inhibit growth hormone (GH) secretion
Thyrotropin-releasing hormone: G protein complexes related to thyrotrophs' TRH receptors ®phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C ®­cytoplasmic free calcium ®­stimulating TSH secretion

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  • Growth hormone & Prolactin receptors:
    • single peptides
    • extracellular amino-terminal hormone-binding domains
    • intracellular carboxyl terminal sequence activates JAK2 (tyrosine kinase) leading to intracellular protein tyrosine phosphorylation and gene regulation
    • GH receptor fragments (GH binding protein, GHBP): bind 50% of circulating growth hormone

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Primary Reference: Fizgerald, P.A. and Klonoff, D.C. Hypothalamic and Pituitary Hormones, in Basic and Clinical Pharmacology, (Katzung, B. G., ed) Appleton-Lange, 1998, pp 603-618.
Primary Reference:Biller, Beverly, M. K. and Daniels, Gilbert, H. Neuroendocrine Regulation and Diseases of the Anterior Pituitary and Hypothalamus, In Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine 14th edition, (Isselbacher, K.J., Braunwald, E., Wilson, J.D., Martin, J.B., Fauci, A.S. and Kasper, D.L., eds) McGraw-Hill, Inc (Health Professions Division), 1998, pp 1972-1998