Endocrinology 4158
Examination 2-Review Sheet
You should know all the pituitary hormones, their major target organs, and major physiological effects.
Why is the pituitary called the master gland? How large is it. Where is it? What is another name for this gland?
Be familiar with the anatomy of the anterior and posterior pituitary in relation to the hypothalamus.
What hormones are made in anterior pituitary? What cell types do they come from? What controls their secretion?
What common structural feature is found in three of the anterior pituitary hormones? Which ones?
What type of receptor is TSH receptor? Where is it found? What is a lack of TSH called? How can it be treated?
How is the function of FSH and LH different in men and women?
How does GH promote body growth? Distinguish between gigantism and acromegaly? Does bovine GH work in
humans? Where was hGH obtained prior to its production recombinantly? Why was this bad?
What is FDA approved use of hGH?
What is POMC? What products does it generate? What two cell types in the pituitary make POMC?
What 2 hormones are stored in posterior pituitary? Where are they made?
What is the ADH receptor? What is diabetes insipidus? How is it related to ADH activity?
What is the function of oxytocin?
Distinguish between direct and non direct actions of GH. What signaling proteins are involved?
What is IGF-1 and where is it primarily made? What is a chondrocyte?
How does GH affect protein, lipid, and glucose metabolism?
What effectors modulate GH secretion?
What 3 hormones effect GH secretion?
What are they, where do they come from, and what effect do they have on GH secretion?
Describe the IGF-1 feedback loop that effects GH secretion.
What are two ways that GH can effect its own secretion? When is GH secreted in adult human?
What experiment first indicated the suggestion of a hormone that modulated growth?
Does GH circulate bound to any proteins? What are they? How does exercise effect GH secretion?
What Pituitary hormone is most similar to GH? Do they act the same? What is the evidence they act differently?
Disease states associated with GH occur in which tissues? Is acromegaly a serious condition? Why and Why not?
What is an early symptom of this disease? What are other symptoms of this disease?
What are the most serious health consequences of acromegaly?
How does GH affect the body in relation to fusion of the growth plates?
What are all the causes of acromegaly?
What is an adenoma? How do these tumors usually arise?
What is the most common cause of Acromegaly? Distinguish between gigantisms and acromegaly.
How are IGF-1 levels affected by increases in circulating GH? How can non pituitary tumors cause acromegaly?
Does an increase in size of pituitary indicate the tumor is present at this location? Why or why not?
How can physicians make sure they correctly diagnose the cause of acromegaly?
What is measurement of GH a poor way to diagnose acromegaly? Compare this with measuring IGF-1 levels.
What is OGTT and why is it the most reliable method of confirming a diagnosis of acromegaly.
What 2 imaging techniques are used, visualize a tumor without surgery? How are non pituitary causes of
acromegaly diagnosed? What are the goals of acromegaly treatment? What are 3 treatment options? What are the
advantages and disadvantages of each of these treatment options? What are some complications of surgery? What 2
medications currently are used to treat acromegaly? What is the primary strength and weakness of bromocriptine
treatment for this condition? What about for octreotide?
Is a single treatment effective for all patients? Understand how these treatments can be used in combination.
What is the primary function of PRL? What are other functions of this hormone? How does estrogen affect PRL?
When do serum levels of PRL increase?
How does PRL affect the LH receptor? Are PRL levels substantially higher in women?
How does glycosylation affect the activity of PRL? Where are PRL receptors expressed? Can be PRL be produced
outside of the pituitary? What is the phenotype of PRL null mice? How is PRL involved in immune function?
How is control of PRL secretion distinct from all other anterior pituitary hormones? What happens to secretion all
of pituitary hormones if pituitary stalk is cut? How does dopamine effect PRL secretion? What other hypothalamic
hormones modulate PRL? What is a prolactinoma? What are the symptoms in men and women?
How common is it? What causes this disease? What are 4 other conditions that can results an increased PRL levels.
How do these conditions cause PRL levels to rise? How is prolactinoma diagnosed and treated? What is
galactorrhea?
How should you choose a skilled neurosurgeon?
What is the role of TSH? What is thermogenesis? What is TRH? What is the structure of TRH? How do thyroid
hormones affect the release of TRH and TSH?
Why are LH and FSH called the gonadotropins? Are they required for survival? For reproduction?
What are the primary functions of LH and FSH? His is the secretion of these hormones modulated by GnRH,
testosterone, estrogen and progesterone? How many amino acids is GnRH?
What is hypogonadism? Are its effects in men and women?
How does gonad removal affect LH and FSH levels?
What are the two primary causes of elevated gonadotropins in humans?
What is the consequence of elevated levels of gonadotropins?
What % of our body is water? What hormone is a key player in water homeostasis>
How is the structure of ADH and oxytocin different? What carrier protein is found in ADH and OXY vesicles?
What is the most important effect of ADH? How was the hormone named? What is a diuretic?
Where are ADH receptors in the kidney? How does ADH stimulate water reabsorbtion?
What is the function of the aquaporin? What is osmolarity? How is osmolarity sensed by the body? How does
plasma osmolarity effect ADH secretion? Why is ADH also called vasopressin?
Does ADH have pressor effects in healthy people? What is the parallel between thirst and ADH secretion? What
happens first an ADH increase or thirst? In addition to osmolarity, what other effectors of ADH are known?
What is the most common human disease associated with ADH? What are two conditions that cause this? What
genes in the kidney can be mutated and results in diabetes insipidus?
How can hypothalamic diabetes insipidus be treated?
What effect does alcohol have on ADH?
Where is oxytocin produced? Is oxytocin and uncomplicated hormone? Explain?
What are the 3 major effects of this hormone in females? How are levels of oxytocin receptors regulated during
gestation? What two studies suggest a role of Oxy in maternal behavior?
What is the phenotype of mice lacking oxytocin? What does this say about its function? What is a role of oxytocin
in men? What is the most important stimulus for release of oxytocin from hypothalamus?
How does acute stress affect Oxy release? How do sex steroid affect synthesis and response to sex steroids?
What are aquaporins? What is their structure? Where are they usually found in the cell? What do they transport?
What two Aquaporins play a role in water movement across kidney cells to minimize urine output?
Are both of these proteins expressed constitutively? Explain. What signaling pathway is involved with A2?
What Aquaporins are associated with disease? Explain.
Name some other neurohypophysial hormones. How are these hormones degraded? What is oxytocinase?
What is POMC? Where are aMSH and ACTH produced? What is the function of MSH in vertebrates?
What is the primary role of ACTH? What is another name for this hormone? How is CRH induced?
How does it affect ACTH? What is the feedback loop between CRH-ACTH-glucocorticoids?
Where is the steriodogenic tissue of the adrenal glands? What hormones are made in the adrenal cortex and the
medulla? What is the primary cell type of the medulla? What type of receptors do NE and E have? How are  and
 receptors different when it comes to second messengers? What is the aa precursor of these hormones? Where are
they made? What stimulates the release of NE and E.? What are some major effects mediated by NE and E?
What is the primary role of aldosterone? What is the primary function of glucocorticoids?
What is disease is also known as hypercortisolism? What are the symptoms of Cushing’s syndrome? What are all
the causes Cushing's Syndrome? What conditions can result in elevated cortisol levels? What is Cushing’s disease
and how does it affect women compared to men? What are the primary cell (or tissue) types involved in Ectopic
ACTH syndrome and how does this condition effect women compared to men? Are most cases of Cushing's
syndrome inherited? Explain.
What is dexamethasone? What is a dexamethasone suppression test and how is used to determine the cause of the
disease. What is a CRH stimulation test and is used to determine the cause of the disease. What are the Petrosal
Sinuses? How does sampling at this location allow for determine the cause of the disease. What is an
incidentalomas? Should imaging be used to diagnose pituitary tumors? Explain.
How is Cushing’s syndrome treated? What is mitotane?
Why can Ectopic ACTH Syndrome be difficult to treat?
What is Addison’s disease? What are other names for this condition?
Distinguish between primary and secondary adrenal insufficiency and the causes of each. What is more common?
What are the treatments for each? What is cause of 70 % of reported cases of primary AI? What bacterium was a
primary cause of Addison’s in mid 1800’s and still account for 20% of cases?
What is CAH? How is the production of TRH amplified? What is the cause of Kallman syndrome and how does it
affect gonadotropin release?