Hormones
and
Feedback Mechanisms
03.01.05
How the endocrine system controls everything

The Endocrine System
General Overview
Basic Anatomy
Control of the endocrine system
Specific endocrine events

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I.  A General Overview
ES (endocrine system) and homeostasis
Anatomy
Endocrine glands, cells, neurosecretory cells
Hormones
Target cells
ES as a Control System
Hormone + target = change in cell function (return to homeostasis)

ES and Homeostasis
Homeostasis

Feedback Mechanisms
Stimulus
change in homeostatic environment
signal sent to CNS
Response
signal sent from CNS
produce effect
body returns to homeostasis

Basic ES cont.
ES and NS = 2 main control systems of body
Endocrine organs located throughout body
Actions mediate all tissues
Control of ES through feedback mechanisms

II.  ES anatomy basics
Exocrine gland
Ducts
Lumen and surfaces
Endocrine gland
Chemical messengers
Blood stream

C.  Hormones
Chemical messenger
Secreted by endocrine gland
Specific to target
Activate cellular change
Of 4 different chemical types

C.  4 Classes of Hormones
Peptide/ Protein
Steroid
Amine
Eicosanoid

Hormone + Receptor
Protein/Peptide Hormones
Hydrophilic
Large
Can't fit through membrane
Second messenger mechanism of action
Most hormones
Example:  Insulin

Steroid Hormones
Small
Hydrophobic/Lipophilic
Travel in blood w/carrier
Cytoplasmic or nuclear receptors
change protein synthesis
Example:  estradiol

Amine
Eicosanoid
Hormone + Receptor
Where are Hormones Made ?
The H-P-A
Hypothalamic-Pituitary Axis
Most feedback loops run through this axis
HPA mediates growth, metabolism, stress response, reproduction.
is secondarily in charge of almost everything else.

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D.  Neurosecretory Cells
Specialized neurons
Synthesize and secrete hormones
Extend from HYPOTHALAMUS to POSTERIOR PITUITARY

2. Neurosecretory cells in Hypothalamus
Nuclei synthesize and secrete hormones
Neuronal connection to POSTERIOR pituitary
Antidiuretic Hormone (ADH), Oxytocin

E.  Hypothalamus (general)
Connection to pituitary
Neuronal to POSTERIOR PITUITARY
Endocrine to ANTERIOR PITUITARY
RH = Pituitary releasing hormones
RIH = Pituitary release inhibiting hormones

Why is the Hypothalamus so Important?
Secretes regulatory homones
RH
RIH
"Directs" pituitary

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Hypothalamic Hormomes
Release Inhibiting Hormones
Somatostatin
Prolactin release inhibiting hormone-PIH
Releasing Hormones
Thyrotropin releasing hormone-TRH
Growth hormone releasing hormone-GHRH

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1.  Posterior Pituitary Hormones
Manufactured in Hypothalamus, released from Post. Pit.
Oxytocin
Target = smooth ms. Uterus and Breast (&brain)
Function = labor and delivery, milk ejection,(pair bonding)
ADH (Vasopressin AVP)
Target =  kidneys
Function = water reabsorption

How about in frogs ?
Hormone structure/function tightly conserved
Mesotocin
yolking of eggs
egg-laying
Vasotocin (AVT)
water balance
REPRODUCTIVE BEHAVIORS

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2.  Anterior Pituitary Hormones
Hormones To Study
Hypothalamic Hormones
Posterior Pituitary (Neurohypophysis)
Anterior Pituitary (Adenohypophysis)
Thyroid
Growth
Sex Steroid

III.Control of Endocrine Function
Positive
or Negative Feedback mechanisms
Self-regulating system

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A.  Positive Feedback
Not common
Classic example:
Action of OXYTOCIN on uterine muscle during birth.

Positive Feedback
Baby pushes on cervix
Nervous signal to Hypothalamus
Hypothal. manufactures OXY
OXY transported to POSTERIOR PITUITARY & released
OXY stimulates uterine contraction
Loop stops when baby leaves birth canal

Same with frogs?
B.  Negative Feedback
Most common control mechanism
Level of hormone in blood or bodyÕs return to homeostasis shuts off loop at hypothalamus and pituitary

Negative Feedback:  Thyroid
Basic Structure of Feedback Loop
Environmental Stimulus
Stimulates Control Center (Brain-hypothal.)
Hypothalamic hormones stim. Pituitary
Pituitary hormone stim. Target area
Target area produces change
Change acts negatively or positively on the cycle.

IV.  Specific Endocrine Events
Thyroid Hormone
Growth Hormone
Adrenal Cortex Hormones
Sex Steroids

A.  Thyroid Hormone
ø T3 & T4 stim. Or environmental stim. Hypothalamus
TRH stim. Anterior Pituitary
TSH stim. Thyroid
­ T3 & T4 shuts off TRH and TSH production

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Thyroid Problems
What would happen if the thyroid could no longer produce T3 and T4?
No negative feedback to hypothalamus and anterior pituitary

Goiter
Hypersecretion of TSH or TH
Hyposecretion of TH
B.  Growth Hormone
Stimulus = Tissue growth/ repair
Hypothalamus releases GHRH
Anterior Pituitary releases GH
­ Protein synthesis, growth, etc.
­GH and release of somatostatin shuts off GHRH and GH release

What happens with excess GH?
­GH as Juvenile
­GH as an Adult
How Does Hypersecretion of GH Happen?
øGH = pituitary dwarfism
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Adrenal Gland
Adrenal gland located atop kidney
Outer part = cortex
Secretes Cortisol (stress), Androgens, Aldosterone (electrolytes)
Inner part = medulla
SNS control
Secretes EPI & NEPI (fight or flight)

Adrenal Insufficiency
AddisonÕs disease--hyposecretion of cortisol
JFK
Darkened skin (ACTH mimics MSH)
Weight loss, hypoglycemia
Find the anomaly in the feedback loop.
Inability to handle stress

4.  Sex Steroids
Stimulus = low circulating T or E
Hypothalamus = GnRH
Anterior Pituitary = FSH & LH
Gonads produce T and E
High T and E shut off GnRH and FSH/LH

Importance
Reproduction/Mating Behavior (duh)
Formation of reproductive organs
gonads
brain

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Too many steroids
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Invertebrates
Hormones involved in:
Molting
Pupation
Metamorphosis

Insect Hormones
Juvenile Hormone
maintains juvenile cuticle for pre-adulthood molts
secreted by corpus allatum near brain
Ecdysone
Molting Hormone
Prothoracic Glands (in thorax of insect)
PTTH = Brain hormone that stimulates Prothoracic Glands

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Points
History
Anatomy
Terms
Hormones
Feedback control
Specific Points discussed

I.  Endocrine History
Claude Bernard (mid 1800s)
pancreas, liver
brain, smooth ms.
internal environ.
A.A. Berthold (1849)
repro hormones and
behavior

Endocrine History
Charles Brown-Sequard (1889)
Harvard 1864-1868
M.D. in NY 1873-1878
bull testis extracts

Important Physiologists
Walter Cannon
homeostasis
sympathetic nervous system
Bodily Changes in Hunger, Fear, and Rage

1.  Peptide/Protein Hormones
Most common hormone
translated, packaged, & sent
Hydrophilic/Lipophobic
Bind surface receptors at target
Binding mediates signal transduction/2nd messenger system

Peptide Hormones cont.
Short 1/2-life
Pancreas
Insulin/glucagon
Hypothalamus
RH (releasing hormones)
RIH (release inhibiting hormones)

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2.  Steroid Hormones
Derived from cholesterol
Hydrophobic/Lipophilic
Travel with a protein carrier
Long 1/2-life
Binds to cytoplasmic or nuclear receptor
1st Messenger

Steroid hormones cont.
Genomic effect
Activates genes
Directs synthesis of new proteins
Lag time between hormone binding and effect = long time.
Gonads & placenta
Adrenal cortex

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3. Amine Hormones
Synthesized from a single amino acid
Melatonin from tryptophan
Thyroid hormone from tyrosine
Catecholamines (EPI, DA) from tyrosine

4.  Eicosanoid hormones
Produced from 20-carbon fatty acid, arachadonic acid
Produced in all cells except RBCs
2nd messenger
Prostaglandins and leukotrienes
inflammation

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Negative Feedback
Low levels of T3 or T4 in blood or low BMR = stimulus
Hypothalamus releases TRH
TRH stimulates the ANTERIOR PITUITARY to release TSH
TSH stim. Thyroid to release T3 & T4
Levels of T3 & T4 shut off Hypothal. & Anterior Pituitary

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Adrenal cortex feedback
Low glucocorticoid (cortisol) levels or low blood sugar
Stim. Hypothal. = CRH
CRH stim. Anterior Pit. = ACTH
ACTH stim. Adrenal Cortex.
Increase glucocort. Level then blood sugar level

Adrenal gland
Adrenal Problems
Hypersecretion of Adrenal Cortex
What Would the Feedback Loop Look Like for CushingÕs Syndrome?