Endocrine System-

Hormones –Receptors
Androgens Deficiency Androgens Overproduction
Intercellular Mechanisms of Signalization
Chemical Structure of the Main Hormones
Protein / Peptide Hormone Secretion

1. Transcription of DNA into

RNA
2. Removal of certain
sequences (introns) from
the initial transcription chain
and modifications of the 3”
and 5” terminal segments
3. mRNA translation process
and protein synthesis
4. Before secretion, the
prohormone is split in more
fragments
Steroid Hormones Synthesys
 Cholesterol pick up by the
steroid cell (endocitosys)
 Initially the synthesis begins
intramitochondrially (StAR)
 Afterwards the synthesis
continues in RER
 Specific enzymes are needed
to transform cholesterol in
different hormones
 Hormone Transportation into
Circulation
 90% of the steroid hormones and the thyroid
hormones circulate in complexes with binding
proteins
 The free hormone is the biologically active form
 Binding proteins – synthesized in liver; their
concentration influences the total hormone blood
level , but doesn’t influence the free form
 Halving time: - seconds: catecolamines
- minutes: protein hormones
- hours: steroids, thyroid hh
Hormones’ Action in the Target Cell
Types of Membrane Receptors
Mechanism of Action of the Hormones
with Intracellular Receptors
Nuclear receptors:
• Soluble receptors, some
citoplasmatic (glucocorticoids),
others nuclear (thyroid hh)
•Act as transcription factors,
bind to the DNA and initiate
RNA synthesis
•There are orphan receptors –
with no identified ligand
 Regulation of Endocrine Secretion
Feed-back regulation
 Biorythm Regulation
Ultradian - recurrent periods or cycles Circadian - approximate
repeated throughout a 24-hour circadian day
daily periodicity

Circatrigintan - cycles that recur every month

Regulation at the Tissue Level
Methods of Hormone Measurement
RIA
Physiopathology of Endocrine Diseases (1)
 Alteration of hormonal synthesis:
- Excessive production (acromegaly,
thyrotoxicosis, Cushing disease)
- Reduction of the hormonal secretion
(hypothyroidism, Addison disease)
 Alteration of the hormonal biorythm
- Precocious puberty
- Anovulation of hypothalamic cause
Physiopathology of Endocrine Diseases (2)
 Receptor pathology
- Resistence to thyroid hormones – Refetoff sd
- Resistence to androgen hormones – Testicular
feminization sd
- Exaggerated sensitiveness - hirsutism
- GH receptor defect –Laron nanism
 Ethiopathogeny of the Endocrine
Diseases
 Tumoral Sindromes
- Most frequently pituitary, thyroid or parathyroid
- The majority benign; may evolve with hormonal
hypersecretion / insufficiency through compression
(Pituitary tumors)
- Multiple endocrine neoplasia:
 MEN 1 = Parathyroid tumors, pancreatic tumors,
and pituitary tumors.
 MEN 2a = Medullary thyroid cancers (MTC),
pheochromocytoma, and parathyroid tumors.
 MEN 2b = Medullary thyroid cancers,
pheochromocytoma and neuromas.
Autoimmune Pathogeny
 Polyglandular Autoimmune
Syndromes
 They appear by simultaneous immunologic
destruction of more endocrine glands
PAS type 1: hypoparathiroidism, Addison
disease, chronic candidiasis
PAS type 2: Addison disease, thyroid
autoimmune diseases, DM type 1, gonad
insufficiency
+ other autoimmune diseases: Biermer anemia,
vitilligo, etc.