• Pituitary Hormones

   

  • Pituitary Hormones Introduction and Growth Hormone Functions

    Mullally A "Pituitary Hormone Intro and Growth Hormone Functions" Video Citation:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOCM7E4uOYg Other excellent videos by this contributor:  Mullally A: https://www.youtube.com/user/bullharrier

  • Growth hormone (GHRH):  anterior pituitary synthesis

    • Growth regulation

    • Intermediary metabolism effects

  • Prolactin (PRL):  anterior pituitary synthesis

    • Required for lactation

  • Luteinizing hormone (LH) and Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH:  anterior pituitary synthesis

    • Male and female gonadal control

  • Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH, thyrotropin):  anterior pituitary synthesis

    • Thyroid function regulation

  • Adrenocorticotropin (ACTH)  anterior pituitary synthesis

    • Regulation: adrenocortical glucocorticoid functions

  • Vasopressin (AVP; antidiuretic hormone, ADH):  synthesis site: hypothalamic neurons; storage site: posterior pituitary.

    • AVP: regulation of renal water conservation

  • Oxytocin: synthesis site:  hypothalamic neurons; storage site:  posterior pituitary.

    •  Oxytocin: required for milk let-down; may assist in parturition

• Feedback Relationships

  • Feedback between anterior pituitary and its three target glands:

    • Gonads

      • If gonads fail or removed then LH and FSH increased ­ (primary hypogonadism)

    • Adrenal cortex

      • With adrenal cortex destruction/removal, primary adrenal-insufficiency occurs (Addison's disease) with increased­ serum ACTH concentration

    • Thyroid

      • Thyroid failure  leads to  primary hypothyroidism resulting in increased ­ TSH

  • With removal/destruction of the pituitary gland, trophic hormone is lost:

    • Secondary hypogonadism

    • Adrenal-insufficiency

    • Hypothyroidism

  • With removal/destruction of the pituitary gland: no effect on vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin provided intact hypothalamus

Primary Reference: Fitzgerald, 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