DRUGS AFFECTING

THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM

Pituitary Hormones and
Their Control by the
Hypothalamus
Diagram of pituitary axes. Hypothalamic
hormones regulate anterior pituitary trophic
hormones that in turn determine target gland
secretion. Peripheral hormones feed back to
regulate hypothalamic and pituitary hormones
Figure 76-2. Metabolic functions of the anterior
pituitary hormones.
ACH, adrenal corticosteroid hormones.
 Table 5-1 provides an overview of the different hormone
systems and their most important actions.
FIGURE 1 The hypothalamic-pituitary endocrine system.

Except for prolactin, hormones released from the anterior pituitary

stimulate the production of hormones by a peripheral endocrine
gland, the liver, or other tissues.
Prolactin and the hormones released from the posterior pituitary
(vasopressin and oxytocin) act directly on target tissues.

Hypothalamic factors regulate the release of anterior pituitary

hormones.
ACTH, adrenocorticotropin;
ADH, antidiuretic hormone [vasopressin];
CRH, corticotropin-releasing hormone;
DA, dopamine;
FSH, follicle-stimulating hormone;
GH, growth hormone;
GHRH, growth hormone-releasing hormone;
GnRH, gonadotropin-releasing hormone;
LH, luteinizing hormone;
PRL, prolactin;
SST, somatostatin;
TRH, thyrotropin-releasing hormone;
TSH, thyroidstimulating hormone.
Figure 76-3. Cellular structure of the anterior pituitary gland.
Figure 76-5. Comparison of weight gain of a rat injected daily with growth
hormone with that of a normal littermate.
Acromegaly. If an acidophilic tumor occurs after adolescence—that is,
after the epiphyses of the long bones have fused with the shafts—the
person cannot grow taller, but the bones can become thicker and the
soft tissues can continue to grow.
transsphenoidal surgery
 Figure 4 Signaling pathways of growth hormone

Brooks, A. J. & Waters, M. J. (2010) The growth hormone receptor: mechanism of activation and clinical implications
Nat. Rev. Endocrinol. doi:10.1038/nrendo.2010.123
Figure 5. Regulatory interactions between the IGF-IR insulin-like growth
factor type I receptor and IR, insulin receptor.
Figure 6. Somatostatin signaling
FIGURE 7. Above: Amino acid sequence of somatostatin.
Below: Sequence of the synthetic analog, octreotide.
Figure 8. Octreotide action
Figure 9. Octreotide Vs Lanreotide
Figure 10. pegvisomant signal transduction
Figure 11. spermatogenesis
Figure 12. hCG structure
Figure 13. Gonadotropin releasing hormone
Figure 14. GnRH agonist
and antagonist
Figure 15. Prolactin sequence
Figure 17. ADH action
Figure 18. Vasopressin structure