OVERVIEW

OF
ENDOCRINE
SYSTEM

Dr. Elan Selvi Anandan

Learning Outcomes
• Hormones of hypothalamus, pituitary and their
functions.
• The relationship between hypothalamus and –
anterior pituitary, posterior pituitary, thyroid, adrenal
and gonads .
• The actions and regulation of secretion of ADH and
Oxytocin .
Nervous vs. Endocrine System

• Nervous system – coordinates rapid responses

to stimuli via action potentials (electrical signal).

• Endocrine system – coordinates long term

responses using chemical signals (hormones).
Endocrine system
• Consists of a group of
glands that produce
hormones.
• Works with nervous
system to control and
coordinate all other
body systems.
 Endocrine vs Exocrine glands
❖Exocrine ❖Endocrine
➢Gland secretes through ➢Glands produce and
ducts (e.g salivary secrete hormones into
glands). bloodstream (e.g
pituitary gland).
What is HORMONE?
❖ Hormone is a chemical messenger.
❖ A secretory products of ductless glands (Endocrine gland).
❖ Released into blood stream and transported to target organs.
▪ Some affect many tissues:
- Growth hormone
- Thyroid hormone
▪ Some affect a specific tissue (target tissue):
- Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)
- Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)
Endocrine hormones
Other organs which contain endocrine tissue
Circulating & Local Hormones
❖Circulating hormones ❖Local hormones
▪ Hormones that travel in ▪ Hormones that act
blood and act on distant locally without first
target cells. entering the
bloodstream (quick
responses).

Paracrine signaling Autocrine signaling

**Target cell is near to **Signaling cell and the
signal-releasing cell. target cell is the similar.
Local hormones
• Prostaglandins • Histamine
• Kinins
• Thromboxane • Acetylcholine
• Prostacyclin • Nitric Oxide
• Lipoxins • Endothelin
• Leukotrienes
• Serotonin
Local hormones (cont.)

❖Acethylcholine
**Released at the parasympathetic and skeletal
nerve endings.
❖Secretin
**Released by duodenal wall and transported in the
blood → pancreas to cause a watery pancreatic
secretion.
Local hormones (cont.)

❖Cholecystokinin
**Released in small intestine and transported to the
gall bladder to cause it to contract and to the
pancreas to cause digestive enzyme secretion.
Classification of hormones
⮚ Chemical classifications
• Amine
• **Derived from tyrosine/tryptophan
• Catecholamine/T3/T4

⮚ Steroids
• **Are lipids derived cholesterol
• Testosterone/Estrogen
• Progesterone/Cortisol

⮚ Polypeptide/protein
• **Hormones are chains of amino acids
• Insulin/GH/ADH
• Oxytocin/Glucagon
 Mechanism of Hormone
Regulation

Neural Hormonal Humoral

Regulation Regulation Regulation
**Neural synapse **Hormone binds **Endocrine cells
with cells to endocrine cells, respond to levels
producing regulating release of other factors in
hormone (ie. NE of other hormone the circulation (ie.
release form the (ie. FSH Glucose caused
adrenal gland). stimulates increased insulin
Estrogen release). secretion from
pancreas).
Mechanisms
 General Regulation of Hormone
Secretion

Feedback
Feedback Control
Control
**Negative Neural Control
Neural Control Chronotropic
Chronotropic
**Negative
& Control
Control
&
Positive
Positive
I. Feedback Control
II. Neural Control
Inhibiting or
❖External stimuli releasing hormone
• Visual, Auditory, Gustatory
❖Internal stimuli
• Pain, Emotion, Fight, Stress, Sexual excitement,
Blood glucose and volume changes.
III. Chronotropic Control
• Endogenous neuronal rhythmicity
• Diurnal rhythms
• Circadian rhythms (GH and cortisol)
• Sleep-wake cycle
• Seasonal rhythm.
Functions of Hormone

• Regulate metabolic processes (e.g thyroid

hormone).
• Control the rate of chemical reactions (e.g growth
hormone).
• Aid in the transport of substances across the cell
membrane of target cells (e.g insulin and
glucagon).
Functions of Hormone
• Play a vital role in reproduction, growth and
developmental (e.g progesterone, estrogen,
testosterone).
• Regulate water and electrolyte balances (e.g
ADH, Calcitonin).
 Hypothalamus and pituitary axis
Hypophyseal A capillary system, Hypothalamus
portal system blood flows between secretes hormones
the hypothalamus and they reach
and pituitary gland pituitary gland

This is known as
‘Paracrine
signaling’

Gonadotropin Stimulate ant. Reach gonads

releasing hormone pituitary to release (Testes/Ovary) to
(GnRH) FSH&LH release their hormones.
Hypothalamus and Pituitary axis
▪ The hypothalamo-adenohypophyseal axis
▪ The hypothalamo-neurohypophyseal axis
▪ The hypothalamo-adenohypophyseal-
adrenocortical axis
▪ The hypothalamo-sympatho-adrenal axis
▪ The hypothalamic-hypophyseal-gonadal axis
Hormones of Hypothalamus
Hypothalamic Releasing and Inhibiting Hormones

1. CRH: Corticotrophin RH
2. TRH: Thyrotrophin RH
3. GnRH: Gonadotrophin RH (LHRH)
4. GHRH: Growth hormone RH
5. GHIH: Growth hormone IH (Somatostatin)
6. PIH: Prolactin IH
7. PRH: Prolactin RH
Functions of Endocrine Hypothalamus
❖ Synthesizes and secretes Releasing and Inhibiting hormones
which control anterior pituitary secretion.

❖ Synthesizes ADH and Oxytocin which are stored in posterior

pituitary and controls posterior pituitary secretion of ADH and
Oxytocin.

❖ Controls secretion of thyroid, catecholamine, sex hormones

from the adrenal medulla via HPA.

❖ Controls endocrine rhythms (cortisol secretion).

Ant. Pituitary Post. Pituitary
 Hormones of pituitary gland
❖ Anterior pituitary ❖ Posterior pituitary
hormones hormones
1. Growth hormone (GH)
2. Thyroid stimulating hormone 1. Antidiuretic hormone (ADH)
(TSH). (vasopressin/Arginine
3. Luteinizing hormone (LH). vasopressin).
4. Follicular stimulating hormone
(FSH). 2. Oxytocin.
5. Adrenocorticotropic hormone
(ACTH).
6. Prolactin (PRL).
7. Melanocyte stimulating hormone
(MSH).

▪ All are trophic hormones except

MSH
Growth Hormone (GH)
❖ Most important hormone for postnatal growth and development
to adult size.
❖ Maintain lean body mass and bone mass in adult.
❖ Plasma GH level increase progressively from birth to early
childhood.
❖ GH level is peak at the time of puberty.

Has two main actions:

• Growth promoting actions &
• Metabolic actions
I. Growth promoting actions
❖ Effects on cartilage
• Stimulate proliferation of chondrocytes in epiphyseal
end plates of long bones.
❖ Effects on bone
• Stimulate osteoblastic activity. Osteoblast converts
cartilage into bone until the fusion of epiphyseal end
plate with shaft of bone.

• Increases the bone mass.

II. Metabolic actions
❖ Effects on carbohydrate metabolism
• Antagonised to insulin and causes hyperglycaemia
• Increase gluconeogenesis.

❖ Effects on protein metabolism

• Anabolic effect on protein metabolism
(Increase amino acid uptake into the cells)
** Increases protein synthesis & stimulate transcription.
II. Metabolic actions (cont.)

❖ Effect on fat metabolism

• Increase lipolysis in adipose tissues.

❖ Effects on mineral
• Promotes bone mineralization in growing children.
Abnormal Secretion of
Growth Hormone
 Hypersecretion of GH
❖ Gigantism ❖ Acromegaly
▪ Hypersecretion occurs ▪ Hypersecretion occurs
during early life. after the body growth has
▪ Symmetrical enlargement of stopped.
body, with overgrowth of ▪ Elongation of long bones
long bones, [Link] are not possible, hence
and visceral organs. over growth of
cancellous bones.

**Before epiphyseal **After epiphyseal

closure closure
Gigantism
❖ Gigantism is a form of familial pituitary
adenomas, and may run in some families due to a
genetic mutation.
❖ Large production leads to all body tissues grow
rapidly.
❖ Large body stature with increased height.
❖ Muscles and organs are enlarged.
❖ Hyperglycaemia.
Gigantism
Acromegaly
❖ Excessive secretion facilitates increased growth of
muscles, internal organs, and bones & stimulating
secretion of its target hormone insulin-like
growth factor-1 (IGF-1).
❖ Tissue enlargement and metabolic changes.
❖ Muscles and organs are enlarged.
❖ Hyperglycaemia.
Acromegaly
Hyposecretion of GH

❖ Deficiency of GH
in childhood leads
to shunted growth
or dwarfism.
Types of Dwarfism
 Adrenocorticotropic hormone(ACTH)

❖ Corticotrophin(ACTH )
▪ Stimulate adrenocortical
secretion of
glucocorticoid,
mineralocorticoid and sex
hormones.
Posterior pituitary hormone

▪ Antidiuretic
hormone (ADH)
▪ Oxytocin (OT)
Actions of ADH
(1) Actions on kidney
▪ Main role→ regulating water balance .
**Act on distal convoluted tubule and collecting duct of nephron→ increased water
reabsorption.

(2) Vasoconstrictor effect (Increase BP )

▪ ADH exerts its vasoconstrictor effect by acting receptor of arterial smooth
muscles.

(3) ADH act on hypothalamus (Osmoreceptors)

▪ Stimulates thirst.
Abnormal ADH secretion
( 1 ) Syndrome of inappropriate ADH secretion or
SIADH (Hypersecretion )
• Excessive secretion of ADH leads to water retention
and low blood Na+ levels causing fluid imbalances,
seizures or cerebral edema.

(2 ) Diabetes Insipidus (Deficiency of ADH)

• Polyuria due to deficiency or failure to respond to ADH.
• Decrease renal absorption of water leading to polyuria,
polydipsia, dehydration.
Thank
You!!