Question

This is a Discussion Board Question for Pharmacology Class. The book is Pharmacology Principles and Applications, 3rd Edition, by Eugenia Fulcher, Robert Fulcher, and Kathy Debeansky-Soto.

Please explain how hormones secreted by anterior and posterior pituitary glands affect diseases and their treatment?

Answer 1

The pituitary is a small gland (about the size of a kidney bean) located at the base of the brain, just beneath the optic (eye) nerve in a bony area called the sella turcica. It is made up of the anterior (adenohypophysis) and posterior (neurohypophysis) pituitary gland. It is often called the “master gland” because it produces a number of hormones that regulate other hormone glands in the body. The pituitary is, in turn, regulated by the hypothalamus; a portion of the brain that responds to a variety of nerve and hormonal signals from the environment and the rest of the body.

Anterior pituitary hormones include TSH (thyroid gland), ACTH (adrenal gland), GH (growth hormone), LH and FSH (reproduction) and prolactin (lactation for breast feeding). Posterior pituitary hormones include AHD (water and salt balance) and oxytocin (childbirth).

Pituitary disorders can be due to either too much, or too little pituitary hormone secretion. These disorders can result in a wide variety of different clinical conditions, depending on which hormone signal(s) are disrupted.

SIADH:- syndromes of inappropriate secretion of ADH hormone

Caused due to excesses ADH production which results into water retention & releases of hyper concentrated urine

Dehydration or excessive urination - ADH is given so that body can retain its water

Hyperthyroidism- here excessive thyroid stimulation occurs due to over production of TSH or overexpression of TSH RECEPTORS

Hypothyroidism- here there is low TSH production

DWARFISM:- growth hormone is deficient

External growth hormone is given

ADDISONS DISEASE:- here there is deficiency of aldosterone hormone which can be due to deficiency of ACTH hormone

MENSTRUAL CYCLE DISORDER:- here due to alternation in LH & FSH ,MENSTRUAL cycles disturbed

Precocious puberty :- early production or over expression of LH & FSH leads to early puberty in children

GIGANTISM:- overproduction of growth hormone results in very tall stature ,excessively broad palms & feets ,similiar to appearance of giants

Hyperprolactinemia: overproduction of prolactin cause excessive release of milk from mammary glands

thus overall any increase or decrease in the production of these hormones causes hypersecretory disease or hyposecretary diseases respectively, which can be treated  by giving antagonist or external hormone respectively