BIOC 313

Chapter 4

Pitutary Hormones
Functional Types of Hormones

• Tropic
– Originate from anterior pituitary gland
– Specific for another endocrine gland

• Direct effector
– Secreted by endocrine glands
– Act directly on peripheral tissue
– Exert a feedback effect on the hypothalamus or anterior
pituitary gland

• Negative feedback: an increase in the product causes a

decreased in the system.

• Positive feedback: an increase in the product causes an

increase in the activity of the system
Pitutary gland

• It is called master gland,

located at the base of the
brain.
• It composed of anterior-
and posterior-lobes (in
addition to intermediate
lobe). Each lobe secretes
specific hormones to
control the activity of many
other endocrine glands like
thyroid, ovaries, testes and
adrenal.
Anterior Pituitary Hormones

The major hormones secreted from the anterior lobe of pituitary are:
Growth hormone (GH), Somatotropin

• Structure: It is a single polypeptide composed of 190 amino

acids sequence and contains 2 disulfide bonds.
• Human GH made by recombinant DNA techniques is now
available for therapeutic use.
• Secretion: It is secreted from somatotropes of the anterior
pituitary.
• Level:
- High in childhood.
- Maximal during adolescence.
- Lowest during adulthood.
Growth hormone (GH), Somatotropin
• Actions:
1. Normal growth: this is mediated by a substance called somatomedin c released
from the liver and has many anabolic effects.
2. Protein synthesis: GH increases the transport of amino acids into muscles and
increase protein, RNA and DNA sythnesis.
3. Carbohydrate metabolism: GH anatagonizes the effects of insulin causing
hyperglycemia.
4. Mineral metabolism: GH increases calcium, magnesium and phosphate
absorption and helps their incorporation in the skeleton. Thus promotes growth
of long bones.
5. Lipid metabolism: GH promotes the release of free fatty acids and glycerol from
adipose tissue. It also causes increased oxidation of free fatty acids and
ketogenesis in the liver.
6. Prolactin like effect: GH binds to lactogenic receptors and thus has many
properties of prolactin, such as stimulation of mammary gland and milk
production.
 Overproduction of GH (gigantism or
acromegally)
 GH excess usually occurs as a
Gigantism
result of acidophilic tumor (an
adenoma of pituitary gland).
 Gigantism: is a disease resulting
from excessive production of GH
before closure of epiphyseal
plates, leading to accelerated
growth of the long bones.
 Acromegaly: is a disease
resulting from excessive
production of GH after closure of
epiphyseal plates and leading to
cessation of long bones growth.
Underproduction of GH (Dwarfism)

• Deficiency of GH in infants leads to failure of

growth and a disease called dwarfism.
Growth hormone (GH), Somatotropin

• Stimulators • Inhibitors
• Meals • Glucose loading
• Exercise • Epinephrine
• Night Sleeping •Emotional/psychogenic
• Hypoglycemia stress
• Nutritional deficiencies
• Insulin deficiency
Prolactin

• Structure: It is a single polypeptide composed of 199 amino acids

sequence and contains 3 disulfide bonds.
• Secretion:
It is secreted from lactotropes of the anterior pituitary.
• Level:
- Low level in males.
- In female, increase with pregnancy reach maximum level at last
term and remains high during lactation.
• Function:
- Breast development and initiation of lactation.
• Oxytocin is concerned with releasing or ejection of milk, while
prolactin is concerned with synthesis & production of milk
Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone (TSH),
Thyrotropin
• Secretion: It is secreted from thyrotropes of anterior
pituitary.

• Structure: TSH is a glycoprotein hormone composed of two

subunits alpha (α), 92 amino acids sequence (the same in LH
and FSH), and beta (β), 118 amino acids sequence which are
non-covalently bound to each other.

• Function: TSH acts on thyroid gland, stimulating the

synthesis and release of thyroid hormones (T3 and T4).
Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) &
Luteinizing Hormone (LH), Gonadotropins
• Secretion: LH and FSH are secreted from the gonadotropes
of the anterior pituitary.
• Structure:
- FSH is a glycoprotein consisting of alpha (α) chain (92
amino acids), and beta (β) chain of 118 amino acids, which
gives it its unique properties.
- LH is also a glycoprotein consisting of the same 92-amino
acid α- chain found in FSH and TSH and β- chain of 121
amino acids that is responsible for its properties.
Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) &
Luteinizing Hormone (LH), Gonadotropins
• Function:
FSH:
1. In females the target cells are the follicular cells in the ovary
where it causes maturation of the ovarian follicles and release of
estrogens.
2. In males, the target cells are the Sertoli cells in the testis where
it stimulates spermatogenesis.
LH:
3. In females, it stimulates maturation of corpus luteum and the
production of progesterone.
4. In males, it stimulates the production of testosterone by the
Leydig cells of the testis.
Diagram shows the Diagram shows a single
ovarian cycles seminiferous tubule
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH)

• Structure: ACTH is a single polypeptide chain

consisting of 39 amino acids.
• Function:
1. ACTH increases the synthesis and release of adrenal
steroids by enhancing the conversion of cholesterol to
pregnenolone.
2. ACTH increases adrenal cortical growth (tropic effect)
by enhancing protein and RNA synthesis.
Posterior Pitutary Hormones

• Posterior Pituitary is a storage region for 2 hormones:

1. Antidiuretic hormone (ADH), or, vasopressin.
2. Oxytocin
Bioc 313