“Director hormones” are regulatory hormones that regulate the production of other hormones.
The most important regulatory hormones are produced in the hypothalamus, which is the Supreme Commander of all hormone-dependent processes in our body.
All hypothalamus hormones are peptides, that is-consist of amino acids.
Liberins or releasing factors of the hypothalamus stimulate the production of hormones in the pituitary gland. These include:
- Corticoliberin or corticotropin-releasing factor that stimulates the production of adrenocorticotropic hormone;
- Somatoliberin or somatotropin-releasing factor that stimulates the production of somatotropin;
- Tiroliberin or thyrotropin releasing factor, stimulating the production of thyroid stimulating hormone and (to a lesser extent) – prolactin;
- Projectliberty or proctotrupid-releasing factor that stimulates the production of prolactin, this releasing factor is actively produced during pregnancy and lactation;
- Gonadoliberin (lyuliberin) or gonadotropin-releasing factor that stimulates the production of luteinizing hormone and (to a lesser extent) follicle stimulating hormone; a similar hormone is produced in the pineal gland-the body “hedges”, given the importance of the process, which controls gonadoliberin, it is the only hormone that triggers the process of sexual development;
- Follerin or follitropin-releasing factor that stimulates the production of follicle stimulating hormone;
- Melanoliberin or melanotropin-releasing factor that stimulates the production of melanotropin-a hormone that stimulates the production of melanin pigment by skin and hair cells, as well as cells of the retinal pigment layer.
Please note that melanolepis, melatonin (hormone of pineal gland, the regulator of circadian rhythms) and melanin – a substance with similar names, but completely different in their properties.
With liberina everything is clear and there is nothing to speak about. But some liberins have interesting features that deserve attention.
For example, gonadoliberin in addition to stimulating the production of two hormones also stimulates sexual activity and inhibits the development of malignant tumors. And corticoliberin in elevated amounts (under stress) causes a “mobilizing” feeling of anxiety, while suppressing appetite and sexual activity. With long-term exposure to high doses of corticoliberin comes nervous exhaustion, expressed in depression, insomnia, decreased libido.
It would seem that each stimulant-a balance for the balance should correspond to the brake-statin. However, nowadays only three statins are known: somatostatin, prolactostatin and melanostatin. Note that the word “known” was used, not the word “exist.” It is possible that we do not yet know about all the hormones and neurotransmitters that are produced in our body. And the hypothalamus, just so you know, is, for a number of reasons, the most difficult area to study in the entire endocrine system. But it is possible that the hypothalamus costs only three statins, because each of them has additional functions.
“Decipher” statins, that is, to explain their basic functions, probably not necessary – it is evident from their names. So let’s get straight to the extra statin features.
“Prolactostatin” is a well – known to all of us dopamine, more precisely-the dopamine, which is a hormone, that is released by the cells of the hypothalamus into the blood, and not the one that is produced in synapses and is a neurotransmitter. Dopamine can rightly be called a “universal statin” because it inhibits the production of a number of hormones in the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. We will list them in order of descending degree of suppressive action of: prolactin, and somatotropin somatoliberin, corticoliberin and corticotropin and thyrotropin thyroliberin. Only over the production of gonadotropins and gonadoliberin dopamine has no power, it does not inhibit and does not stimulate these processes.
As for somatostatin, it” incidentally ” inhibits the production of adrenocorticotropic hormone and thyroid-stimulating hormone.
And melanostatin as a neurotransmitter has a pronounced antidepressant effect due to its ability to activate behavioral reactions, that is, to induce action, to display activity.
In addition to these, the hypothalamus produces two” non-Director ” hormone, very favorite examiners at all levels – and those who take exams from students, and those who check the knowledge of doctors, improving their skills.
The first “non-Director” hormone is an antidiuretic hormone, also called vasopressin. “Antidiuretic” is translated as “reducing the volume of urine” and ” vasopressin “as”vasoconstrictor”. Actually, both names give an idea of the main functions of this hormone, which retains water in the body, increasing its reabsorption in the kidneys, and also narrows blood vessels.
Water retention is a very important function of the body, increasing (or rather-once increased) its chances of survival. Water is necessary for the body to function. Water itself, as a chemical, does not need to be removed from the body. We can say that we lose water involuntarily-using it as a solvent for the final products of metabolism to be excreted from the body (urine, sweat), and as a thermostat that helps cool the body during evaporation (sweat).
The second “non – Director” hormone is oxytocin, well known to those who have read up to now, without missing pages and chapters.
Why are these two hormones so beloved by examiners?
Because they behave “insidiously” – are produced in the hypothalamus, but immediately after production are delivered to the pituitary gland, where they accumulate and are released from the pituitary gland into the blood. Delivery of hormones from the hypothalamus to the pituitary gland occurs through long processes of nerve cells, called “axons”, with the help of a special protein-conductor. Axons can be compared to tubes, the length of which can reach up to one meter (processes, going to skeletal muscles).
So to the question of where the antidiuretic hormone or oxytocin is produced, examinees often answer: “in the pituitary gland”, and to the question of where these hormones are released into the blood, they answer: “from the hypothalamus”. As they say, the examiner who asks simple questions is bad. The examination question must necessarily have a “second bottom”. And the and third-fourth.
The “Director” pituitary hormones include thyroid-stimulating hormone, stimulating the production and activation of thyroid hormone thyroxine, and adrenocorticotropic hormone, stimulating the production of adrenal glucocorticoids (cortisol, cortisone and corticosterone), as well as progesterone, androgens and estrogens. By the way, if you are concerned about regular rises in blood pressure in combination with increased fatigue, then you need to determine the content of adrenocorticotropic hormone in the blood. Perhaps the cause of the malaise will be in the increased production of the hormone.
Hormones-Directors we finished.
But the dot is too early because nothing has been said about the relationship between the nervous and endocrine systems, which provides the hypothalamus. Thanks to the hypothalamus, which is able to directly perceive nerve impulses from the cerebral cortex, the nervous and endocrine regulation of the body’s vital functions are combined into a single neurohumoral (neuro-hormonal) regulation, during which nerve impulses, hormones, and neurotransmitters jointly participate in a single regulatory process.
A classic example of neurohumoral regulation is stress caused by any psychological factors (fright, anger), when the nervous system transmits signals in the form of nerve impulses that cause the release of hormones into the blood.
That’s it.
Summary
Thanks to the hypothalamus, which is able to directly perceive nerve impulses from the cerebral cortex, nervous and endocrine regulation of vital activity of the body are combined into a single neurohumoral (neuro-hormonal) regulation.
The most important regulatory hormones are produced in the hypothalamus.
Liberins or releasing factors of the hypothalamus stimulate the production of hormones in the pituitary gland. These include:
- Corticoliberin or corticotropin-releasing factor that stimulates the production of adrenocorticotropic hormone;
- Somatoliberin or somatotropin-releasing factor that stimulates the production of somatotropin;
- Tiroliberin or thyrotropin releasing factor, stimulating the production of thyroid stimulating hormone and (to a lesser extent) prolactin; projectliberty or proctotrupid-releasing factor that stimulates the production of prolactin, this releasing factor is actively produced during pregnancy and lactation;
- Gonadoliberin (lyuliberin) or gonadotropin-releasing factor that stimulates the production of luteinizing hormone and (to a lesser extent) follicle stimulating hormone; a similar hormone is produced in the pineal gland-the body “hedges”, given the importance of the process, which controls gonadoliberin, it is the only hormone that triggers the process of sexual development;
- Follerin or follitropin-releasing factor that stimulates the production of follicle stimulating hormone;
- Melanoliberin or melanotropin-releasing factor that stimulates the production of melanotropin-a hormone that stimulates the production of melanin pigment by skin and hair cells, as well as cells of the pigment layer of the retina.
Hypothalamus statins, which are liberin antagonists, inhibit the production of hormones in the pituitary gland. These include:
- somatostatin, inhibiting the production of somatotropin, and to a lesser extent-adrenocorticotropic hormone and thyroid-stimulating hormone; policestation, aka dopamine, inhibits the secretion of prolactin, and somatotropin somatoliberin, kortikoliberina and corticotropin, and thyrotropin thyroliberin.
- melanostatin, inhibiting the production of melanotropin.
The pituitary hormones that regulate the synthesis of other hormones include thyroid-stimulating hormone, which stimulates the production and activation of thyroid hormone thyroxine, and adrenocorticotropic hormone, which stimulates the production of glucocorticoids (cortisol, cortisone and corticosterone), as well as progesterone, androgens and estrogens in the adrenal glands.