Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Functions include:
3. Control of the ANS
4. Mediates limbic output
5. Neuroendocrine control
Ventral brain surface
Anatomical Considerations
• Suprachiasmatic (SCN)
• Paraventricular (PVN)
• Supraoptic (SON)
Tuberoinfundibular
• Arcuate (ARC) region
• Ventromedial (VMN)
• Dorsomedial (DMN)
• Posterior (PHN), Tuberomamm. n., Mamm. Bod.
Mammillary region
(Nose)
Functions of nuclei I
• PON: Controls parasympathetic system
• AHN: Control parasympathetic system
and temperature regulation (heat).
• SON: Vasopressin - Osmotic balance
• PVN: Oxytocin – Lactation, maternal
behavior
Functions of nuclei II
• VMN, DMN – Satiety (food intake seems to
be regulated by neurons in the lateral
hypothalamus. Recent data suggests role in
food entrainment (DMN)
• Posterior hypothalamic nucleus – temperature
regulation (cold).
• ARC – ovulation
• Mammillary nuclei- limbic relay
Functions of nuclei III
• SCN : Master
circadian clock
Supraoptic nucleus
Ventromedial nucleus
Anterior Hippocampus
thalamic
nuclei
Mammillary body
Hypothalamus
Brain stem
Brainstem Efferents
1. Brainstem:
• Mammillotegmental tract – to brain
stem reticular formation.
• Descending fibers project to the
brainstem and spinal cord to influence
ANS activity.
Efferents to pituitary
Neuroendocrine connection
2. Posterior pituitary via nerve fibers that
pass through the infundibular stalk.
3. Anterior pituitary via the hypophyseal
portal system. Neurons project their
axons to the capillary bed in the median
eminence, which empties into vessel that
forms a second capillary bed in the
anterior pituitary.
Anterior vs. Posterior Pituitary
Posterior Pituitary Hormones
• Oxytocin and Vasopressin are made in
the cell bodies of the SON and PVN.
• SON and PVN project their axons
through the infundibular stalk to the
posterior pituitary.
• Vasopressin (FX):vasoconstriction,
water resorption by kidneys
• Oxytocin (FX): Uterine contraction and
milk ejection
Anterior Pituitary
• Transmitters synthesized in the tuberal
hypothalamus and project to the
capillary loops of the median eminence.
• Referred to “releasing” or “inhibiting”
factors depending on the effect on the
pituitary.
• All are peptides
• Note: many pituitary hormones control
other endocrine glands.
Hypothalamic Peptides
• CRH- releases ACTH
• TRH –releases TSH
• PRH – releases prolactin
• PIH – inhibits prolactin
• GN-RH (LH-RH) – releases FSH and LH
• GH-IH (somatostatin) – inhibits GH
• GH-RH – releases GH
Hypothalamic connections
• Limbic are reciprocal.
• Brainstem are reciprocal.
• Pituitary- unidirectional.
• It is very difficult to separate the
intrahypothalamic connections because
the nuclei are so close together.
Summary-Hypothalamus
• Controls the ANS through it’s
brainstem and spinal cord connections.
• Controls the endocrine system through
it’s pituitary connections.
• Is considered to be the major outflow
of the limbic system, which in turn can
alter the ANS and endocrine systems.