Acromegaly & The Endocrine system

If left untreated..

Cellular Response

Facts on Acromegaly

• The detection of environmental signals occurred inside cells. Chemicals that could pass into cells could bind directly to proteins inside the cell and modulate their activities.
• To survive in a changing world, cells evolved mechanisms for adjusting their biochemistry in response to signals indicating environmental change.
• The adjustments can take many forms, including changes in the activities of preexisting enzyme molecules, changes in the rates of synthesis of new enzyme molecules, and changes in membrane-transport processes.
• Cells could respond to signaling molecules even if those molecules did not pass into the cell.
• Receptor proteins evolved that, embedded in the membrane, could bind chemicals present in the cellular environment. Chemicals outside the cell could furthermore, influence events inside the cell.

• Heart disease – acromegaly increases the risk of ischemic heart disease leading to a worsening of risk of heart attacks and angina
• Those with acromegaly are at risk of arthritis and joint pains as well. This is called Acromegalic arthropathy and affects up to 70% of patients.
• Due to overgrowth of structures of the back of the throat and tongue there may be development of Obstructive sleep apnoea and this leads to interrupted sleep.
• There may be additional deficiencies of cortisol, thyroid hormone production and sex steroids due to the defects in pituitary hormone production.

• Since it is uncommon and physical changes occur gradually, the condition often isn't recognized immediately; sometimes not for years
• If not treated promptly, acromegaly can lead to serious illness and even become life-threatening.

Treatments

Symptoms

• Surgery is the first option recommended for most people with acromegaly, as it is often a rapid and effective treatment.
• The best measure of surgical success is normalization of GH and IGF-I levels.
• The overall rate of remission-control of the disease-after surgery ranges from 55 to 80 percent.

• One of the most common is the abnormal growth of the hands and feet.
• Soft-tissue swelling of the hands and feet is often an early acromegaly symptom, with patients noticing a change in ring or shoe size.
• Then gradual changes occur altering the facial features.

Acromegaly can lead to a more serious condition such as diabetes mellitus

Deficiency of insulin or decrease in response to insulin in target tissues.

Background

Current Research

How it Happens

Essential Knowledge

Signal Transduction

occurs when an extracellular signaling molecule activates a specific receptor located on the cell surface or inside the cell.

• this receptor triggers a biochemical chain of events inside the cell, creating a response.
• The signal is often amplified before evoking a response. Feedback pathways regulate the entire signaling process.

• Acromegaly occurs in about 6 of every 100,000 adults. It is caused by abnormal production of growth hormone after the skeleton and other organs finish growing.

• The cause of the increased growth hormone release is usually a noncancerous (benign) tumor of the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland, which is located just below the brain, controls the production and release of several different hormones, including growth hormone.

• Adjunctive radiation therapy cannot always offer biochemical and clinical disease control and carries a 40% risk of partial or total pituitary failure in the medium term.
• Several monotherapies or combination medical therapies are currently available for both primary and adjuvant acromegaly treatment, and include long-acting somatostatin analogs, the growth hormone receptor antagonist pegvisomant, and dopamine agonists.
• Next generation somatostatin analogs and new drug delivery methods of existing agents are in ongoing clinical studies.

• Cell communication processes share common features that reflect a shared evolutionary history.
• All communication involves transduction of stimulatory or inhibitory signals from other cells, organisms or the environment.
• Correct and appropriate signal transduction processes are generally under strong selective pressure.

Acromegaly

1. The hypothalamus makes the growth hormones that later gets regulated in the pituitary gland

2. The growth hormone stimulates the gland to make GH.

3. As GH secretes into the bloodstream it causes the production of another growth factor 1 (IGF-1), in the liver the IGF-1 causes the intense growth of bones and tissues.

4. Then after IGF-1 is released it signals the pituitary gland to stop production of GH.

Acromegaly is a rare disease that occurs when the body makes too much growth hormone and IGF-I. This leads to the body tissues and organs growing too much. Acromegaly can also increase a person’s risk of having dangerous complications such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, arthritis, and osteoporosis

Endocrine System

Overview

Consists of all the hormones and glands within the human body.

Glucsgon:

Insulin:

• triggers uptake of glucose from the blood, decreasing the blood glucose concentration

• promotes the release of glucose into the blood, increasing the blood glucose concentration

Negative feedback

• Glands are controlled directly by simulations from the nervous system and from chemical receptors in the blood.
• Responses take a while to get going, their effects can last for a long time.
• Help to maintain the body’s homeostasis.
• Cellular metabolism, reproduction, sexual development, sugar and mineral homeostasis, heart rate, and digestion are some regulated by hormones.

A loop in which the response reduces the initial stimulus.

• prevents excessive pathway activity.
• essential part of any hormone pathways especially those involved in maintaining homeostasis.

Hormones & Glands

produced in pancreas

Islets of Langerhans (endocrine cells)

alpha cells glucagon

beta cells insulin

Hormones in our bodies...

Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH)

Classification

of Hormones

TRH stimulates the anterior pituitary gland to release thyroid-stimulating hormone.

Growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) & Growth hormone-inhibiting hormone (GHIH)

GHRH and GHIH work to regulate the release of growth hormone—GHRH stimulates growth hormone release, GHIH inhibits its release

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)

VIDEO: Endocrine System

GnRH stimulates the let go of follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone.

• polypeptides
• Insulin which is made up of two polypeptide chains
• amines
• Epinephrine and thyroxine are synthesized from a single amino acid
• steroids
• cortisol, are lipids that contain a 4 fused carbon rings

Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)

While CRH stimulates the release of adrenocorticotropic hormone.

Oxytocin & Antidiuretic hormone (ADH)

Oxytocin and Antidiuretic hormone—are produced by the hypothalamus and transported to the posterior pituitary, where they are stored and later released.

Glands in our bodies

The big four:

Important Facts

Adrenal Gland

Pancreas Gland

Thyroid Gland

Pituitary Gland

Can pass through the cell membrane readily.

An endocrine gland, located on the ventral surface of the trachea, that secretes two iodine-containing hormones, tri-iodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4), as well as calcitonin.

The endocrine portion in homeostasis, secreting the hormone insulin and glucagon into the blood.

One of the two endocrine gland located adjacent to the kidneys in mammals. Endocrine cells in the outer portion responds to ACTH by secreting steroid hormones that help maintain homestasis during long-term stress.

An endocrine gland at the base of the hypothalamus; consists of a posterior lobe (neurohypophysis), which stores and releases two hormones produced by the hypothalamus, and an anterior lobe (adenohypophysis) which produces and secretes many hormones that regualate diverse body function.

Cannot pass through the plasma membrane of cells

• The system is in charge for the production of insulin.
• If insulin is not made then it will result in diabetes.

• It is the secret behind your energy levels thanks to the thyroid glands.

• The hypothalamus is in charge of what makes you feel hungry and thirsty.

Diseases & Endocrine System

• Hormone diseases also occur if your body does not respond to hormones in the appropriate ways.

• Stress, infection and changes the blood's fluid and electrolyte balance can also influence hormone levels.

• The most common endocrine disease in the United States is diabetes, a condition in which the body does not properly process glucose

Hormone Action

Tropic Hormone:

Hormones that have other endocrine glands as their target. Most tropic hormones are produced and secreted by the anterior pituitary.

Intercellular receptors:

They are positioned in the cytoplasm or nucleus. The ligands for these receptor protein are small molecules or lipid-soluble, non-polar molecules that can passively diffuse across the plasma membrane.

Acromegaly &

The Endocrine system