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Goodman & Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, 12e
| Section V. Hormones and Hormone Antagonists > |
Chapter 38. Introduction To Endocrinology: The Hypothalamic-Pituitary Axis
Sections: Endocrinology and Hormones: General Concepts, Disorders of Endocrine Regulation, The Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Endocrine Axis, Pituitary Hormones and Their Hypothalamic Releasing Factors, Somatotropic Hormones: Growth Hormone and Prolactin, The Gycoprotein Hormones: TSH and the Gonadotropins, Clinical Disorders of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal Axis, Natural and Recombinant Gonadotropins, Posterior Pituitary Hormones: Oxytocin and Vasopressin, Clinical Summary, Bibliography.
Topics Discussed: drugs affecting the endocrine system; hormones and hormone antagonists; insulin; oral contraceptives; corticosteroids; vasopressin; pharmacotherapy of endocrine disorders; pituitary gland disorders.
Excerpt:"Endocrinology analyzes the biosynthesis of hormones, their sites of production, and the sites and mechanisms of their action and interaction. The term hormone is of Greek origin and classically refers to chemical messengers that circulate in body fluids and produce specific effects on cells distant from their point of origin. The major functions of hormones include the regulation of energy storage, production, and utilization; the adaptation to new environments or conditions of stress; the facilitation of growth and development; and the maturation and function of the reproductive system. Although hormones were originally defined as products of ductless glands, we now appreciate that many organs that were not classically considered as "endocrine" (e.g., the heart, kidneys, GI tract, adipocytes, and brain) synthesize and secrete hormones that play key physiological roles; many of these hormones are now employed either diagnostically or therapeutically in clinical medicine. In addition, the field of endocrinology has expanded to include the actions of growth factors acting by means of autocrine and paracrine mechanisms, the influence of neurons—particularly those in the hypothalamus—that regulate endocrine function, and the reciprocal interactions of cytokines and other..."
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