Last edited: 9/29/2021

2. POSTERIOR PITUITARY CONNECTION

Endocrinology | Hypothalamus: Posterior Pituitary Connection Medical Editor: Ilia-Presiyan Georgiev

II) TYPES OF CONNECTION

OUTLINE
Tract – neural connection
I) ANATOMY o between the hypothalamus and the neurohypophysis
II) TYPES OF CONNECTION (hypothalamic hypophyseal tract)
III) SUPRAOPTIC NUCLEUS (SON)
IV) PARAVENTRICULAR NUCLEUS (PVN)
V) APPENDIX
VI) REVIEW QUESTIONS
VII) REFRENCES

I) ANATOMY

(1) Hypothalamus
Several gray matter nuclei – supraoptic nucleus (SON),
paraventricular nucleus (PVN), arcuate nucleus (AN),
preoptic nucleus (PON), etc
Situated anterior and a little bit inferior to the thalamus

o Nucleus - a group of cell bodies in the central nervous Figure 2 Hypothalamic hypophyseal tract.
system collectively joined together in a specific area which
is unmyelinated and forming gray matter Portal system – connection of two capillary beds by a
o Tract – a bundle of axons grouped together in the central portal vein
nervous system o between the hypothalamus and the adenohypophysis
(hypothalamic hypophyseal portal system)
(2) Infundibulum
The connection between the hypothalamus and the
hypophysis
(3) Pituitary gland (Hypophysis)
Anterior pituitary gland (Adenohypophysis)
o Made of glandular cuboidal epithelial tissue
o Originates form pharyngeal mucosa - Rathke’s
pouch
Posterior pituitary gland (Neurohypophysis)
o Made of neural tissue - pituicytes (glial cells)
o Considered a part of the brain and not a separate
type of endocrine gland.

Figure 3 Hypothalamic hypophyseal portal system.

III) SUPRAOPTIC NUCLEUS (SON)

Secretes antidiuretic hormone (ADH)
o A.k.a. vasopressin
After it’s created it is transported down the axons
o In synaptic vesicles
o By specific motor proteins
The vesicles need certain stimuli to release the ADH
o ↓ blood volume → ↓ blood pressure
o ↑ plasma osmolality
o Pain

Osmolality refers to the concentration solutes and water inside

the plasma
o High plasma osmolality - ↓ water, ↑ solutes

o Low plasma osmolality - ↑ water, ↓solutes

Inhibitors of the ADH secretion

Figure 1 Location of the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. o ↑ blood volume
o ↓ plasma osmolality
o Alcohol

Posterior Pituitary Connection ENDOCRINE PHYSIOLOGY: Note #2. 1 of 3

 IV) PARAVENTRICULAR NUCLEUS (PVN)
There are two PVN
(1) Secretes Oxytocin
After oxytocin is created it is transported down the axons
in synaptic vesicles by specific motor proteins
The vesicles need certain stimuli to release the oxytocin
o Birthing process
o Suckling by the baby on the mother’s mammary
glands.
 There are specific receptors in the areola
o Male ejaculation

Figure 4 Function of the supraoptic nucleus.

(1) Osmoreceptors
Subfornical organ and organum vasculosum of the
laminae terminalis
Register the plasma osmolality
o High osmolality stimulates the receptors

Figure 5 Function of the paraventricular nuclei.

V) APPENDIX

Products Stimuli Inhibitors

Supraoptic nucleus
Paraventricular nucleus
↓ blood pressure ↑ blood volume
Antidiuretic hormone ↑ plasma osmolality ↓ plasma osmolality
Pain Alcohol
Birthing process
Oxytocin Suckling by the baby
Male ejaculation

2 of 3 ENDOCRINE PHYSIOLOGY: Note #2. Posterior Pituitary Connection

 VI) REVIEW QUESTIONS VII) REFRENCES
What structure connects the hypothalamus with the
● Le T, Bhushan V, Sochat M, Chavda Y, Zureick A. First Aid for
pituitary gland? the USMLE Step 1 2018. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2017
a. Neurohypophysis ● Marieb EN, Hoehn K. Anatomy & Physiology. Hoboken, NJ:
b. Infundibulum Pearson; 2020.
c. Adenohypophysis ● Boron WF, Boulpaep EL. Medical Physiology.; 2017.
● Jameson JL, Fauci AS, Kasper DL, Hauser SL, Longo DL,
d. Rathke’s pouch Loscalzo J. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, Twentieth
Edition (Vol.1 & Vol.2). McGraw-Hill Education / Medical; 2018
How many components has the pituitary gland? ● Hall JE, Hall ME. Guyton and Hall Textbook of Medical
Physiology. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021.
a. 3
b. 4
c. 2
d. 1
What do we call a group of cell bodies collectively
joined together in a specific unmyelinated are, forming
gray matter?
a. A tract
b. Axons
c. A nucleus
d. Vesicles

Which nucleus produces ADH?

a. Supraoptic
b. Subthalamic
c. Paraventricular
d. Arcuate

What is the other name of ADH?

a. Oxytocin
b. Renin
c. Angiotensin
d. Vasopressin

Which stimuli activate the release of ADH?

a. ↓ blood volume, ↓ blood pressure, ↓ plasma
osmolality
b. ↑ blood volume, ↑ blood pressure, ↓ plasma
osmolality
c. ↓ blood volume, ↑ blood pressure, ↑ plasma
osmolality
d. ↓ blood volume, ↓ blood pressure, ↑ plasma
osmolality

Which are the inhibitors of the ADH?

a. Pain, ↑ blood pressure, ↓ plasma osmolality
b. Pain, ↓ blood pressure, ↑ plasma osmolality
c. Alcohol, ↓ blood pressure, ↓ plasma osmolality
d. Alcohol, ↑ blood pressure, ↓ plasma osmolality

Which nucleus produces Oxytocin?

a. Paraventricular
b. Subthalamic
c. Supraoptic
d. Arcuate
Specific receptors that can stimulate the release of
oxytocin are located in?
a. Subfornical organ
b. Areola
c. Adenohypophysis
d. Organum vasculosum of lamina terminalis

Which stimuli activates the release of Oxytocin?

a. Birthing process, male ejaculation, suckling by the baby
b. ↑ blood pressure, male ejaculation, suckling by the baby
c. ↑ blood pressure, birthing process, ↓ plasma
osmolality
d. ↑ blood pressure, suckling by the baby, ↑ plasma
osmolality

CHECK YOUR ANSWERS

Posterior Pituitary Connection ENDOCRINE PHYSIOLOGY: Note #2. 3 of 3