Adrenal gland

From Iusmphysiology

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===Anatomy===
===Anatomy===
*Next to the kidneys = "ad" "renal"
*Next to the kidneys = "ad" "renal"
-
*Have great blood supply.
+
*Have great blood supply so they can be signaled and release their signals.
**Plumbing is different on the left and right sides.
**Plumbing is different on the left and right sides.
===Histology===
===Histology===
*Two basic parts: cortex and medulla.
*Two basic parts: cortex and medulla.
-
*cortex:
+
*Cortex:
-
**mesodermal orgin
+
**mesodermal orgin which makes sense because the mesoderm is generally found on the outside of the internal organs and the cortex is the outside part of the adrenal gland
**Zona glomerulosa
**Zona glomerulosa
**Zona fasciculata
**Zona fasciculata
**Zona reticularis
**Zona reticularis
**GoFaRM = glomerulosa, fasciculata, reticularis, medulla
**GoFaRM = glomerulosa, fasciculata, reticularis, medulla
-
*Medulla in th emidul
+
*Medulla is in the middle of the organ
-
**Ectodermal origin
+
**Ectodermal origin which makes sense because it controls the catecholamines which are kind of nervous system like in the way they signal and the ectoderm makes the nervous system.
**Cats: epi, NE
**Cats: epi, NE
*Cortex on the outside of the whole organ
*Cortex on the outside of the whole organ
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*Part of the HPA axis (hypo, pit, adrenal)
*Part of the HPA axis (hypo, pit, adrenal)
*Hypo makes CRH which is a positive secretory portal hormone
*Hypo makes CRH which is a positive secretory portal hormone
-
*corticotropes in pit makes acth
+
*Corticotropes in pit make ACTH
-
*ACTh has several roles on adrenal
+
*ACTh has several roles on adrenal:
-
**Causes growth in addition to changes in synthesis at adrenal
+
**Causes growth
 +
**Causes changes in what the adrenal cells synthesize
**Causes overgrowth in disease states
**Causes overgrowth in disease states
*ACTH can be high when feedback loops are broken
*ACTH can be high when feedback loops are broken
-
**I.e. cortisol not feedbinb back on hypo or pit, perhaps.
+
**I.e. cortisol not feeding back on hypo or pit, perhaps.
Line 40: Line 41:
====Corticotropin releasing hormone====
====Corticotropin releasing hormone====
*CRF = CRH
*CRF = CRH
-
*small peptide, hits receptor on pit cells
+
*CRF is a small peptide that binds receptors on pituitary cells, namely the corticotropes.
*Promotes POMC production in corticotropes of pit
*Promotes POMC production in corticotropes of pit
-
*ACTH generated
+
*ACTH generated from the POMC gene
-
**39 aa peptide
+
**ACTH is a 39 aa peptide
-
**AKA corticotropin
+
**ACTH is also known as corticotropin
-
**Affects steroidogenic cells of adrenal
+
**ACTH affects the steroidogenic cells of the adrenal gland, especially the fasciculata and the reticularis.
-
***Especially fasciculata and reticularis
+
**'''NOTE: ACTH has less affect on the glomerulosa than the other two layers of the cortex.'''
-
***Less role in glomerulosa
+
====ACTH====
====ACTH====
*Hits target in cortex of adrenal.
*Hits target in cortex of adrenal.
-
*Binds to an MC2R (receptor)
+
*Binds to an MC2R (receptor) on the cells of the cortex layers.
-
*Activates cAMP pathways
+
*ACTH activates cAMP pathways via the MC2R receptor.
-
 
+
-
====Cortex regulation by renin-angiotensin and acth====
+
-
*Glomerula makes aldosterone
+
-
**Responds to reinin-angiotensin
+
-
*Fasciculata makes cortisol
+
-
**Resonds to ACTH
+
-
*Reticularis makes DHEA
+
-
**Responds to ACTH
+
-
*Reticularis and fasciculata will atrophy if pit is removed.
+
-
*All these products of these three zones are steroids.
+
-
*Will not be tested on structure of steroids versus sterol.
+
===Zones of the adrenal gland===
===Zones of the adrenal gland===
*Glomerulosa
*Glomerulosa
**Makes adlosterone and deoxycorticosterone
**Makes adlosterone and deoxycorticosterone
 +
**Responds to reinin-angiotensin
*Fasciculata
*Fasciculata
**Makes cortisol and corticosterone
**Makes cortisol and corticosterone
 +
**Resonds to ACTH
*Reticularis
*Reticularis
**Makes Adrostendione and DHEA
**Makes Adrostendione and DHEA
 +
**Responds to ACTH
 +
*Reticularis and fasciculata will atrophy if pit is removed (because they respond to ACTH!).
 +
*All these products of these three zones are steroids.
 +
*Will not be tested on structure of steroids versus sterol.
 +
 +
*Medulla
*Medulla
-
**CATS, mostly epi (adrenaline), some NE
+
**Makes CATS, mostly epi (adrenaline), some NE
===Zone histology===
===Zone histology===
Line 79: Line 76:
*Think of things as flowing stuff through the area
*Think of things as flowing stuff through the area
**If an enzyme is missing, things flow in the other direction.
**If an enzyme is missing, things flow in the other direction.
-
what?
 
===Stress and the adrenals===
===Stress and the adrenals===
-
*Short term stress:
+
*Short term stress: Cats
-
**Cats
+
*Long term stress: Corticosteroids via ACTH and the mineralocorticoids (glomerulosa, not via ACTH)
-
*Long term stress:
+
-
**Corticosteroids via ACTH and the mineralocorticoids (not via ACTH)
+
===Steroidogenesis===
===Steroidogenesis===
Line 98: Line 92:
**Released in circadian rhythm
**Released in circadian rhythm
*Go example of thinking about cycles when measuring hormones in pts.
*Go example of thinking about cycles when measuring hormones in pts.
-
*Stress is a major player in cortosol release
+
*Stress is a major player in cortisol release
**via CRH-ACTH axis
**via CRH-ACTH axis
*A hormone carried in blood by binding proteins.
*A hormone carried in blood by binding proteins.
Line 106: Line 100:
*Glucocorticoids bind on glucocorticoid receptors, then HSPs then homodimerize to go into the nucleus to be a txn factor.
*Glucocorticoids bind on glucocorticoid receptors, then HSPs then homodimerize to go into the nucleus to be a txn factor.
**Txn factors work with partner prots to affect txn.
**Txn factors work with partner prots to affect txn.
-
**for cortisol, gr does not work direclty with partner proteins.
+
**for cortisol, GR does not work direclty with partner proteins.
-
 
+
====Cortisol effects on various systems====
====Cortisol effects on various systems====
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====Mineralocorticoids (aldosterone)====
====Mineralocorticoids (aldosterone)====
*Made by zona glomerulosa
*Made by zona glomerulosa
 +
**This makes sense because aldosterone acts at the kidney and the kidney has glomerula.
*Aldosterone is the major one
*Aldosterone is the major one
*Effects:
*Effects:
Line 142: Line 136:
*Enzymes that convert excessive glucocorticoids into non-responsive, non-MR binders gives us a way to control signaling if there's too much aldosterone.
*Enzymes that convert excessive glucocorticoids into non-responsive, non-MR binders gives us a way to control signaling if there's too much aldosterone.
-
====Adnrogens====
+
====Androgens====
-
*Major = adrostendione and DHEA
+
*Major forms are adrostendione and DHEA
*These are not present much in the adrenals b/c they are produced where blood flow in the adrenal exits.
*These are not present much in the adrenals b/c they are produced where blood flow in the adrenal exits.
-
=====Adrenarch=====
+
=====Adrenarche=====
-
*Important for driving adrenarch.
+
*Androgens (and therfore the reticularis) are important for driving adrenarche.
*This helps develop: pubic hair, auxillary hair, acne, and adult body odor.
*This helps develop: pubic hair, auxillary hair, acne, and adult body odor.
*one disease term is virulization; means that there is an excess of androgens and this axis is elevated
*one disease term is virulization; means that there is an excess of androgens and this axis is elevated
Line 185: Line 179:
*Could be an adrenal tumor making too much cortisol.
*Could be an adrenal tumor making too much cortisol.
*Causes really low ACTH b/c lots of feedback on the Pit
*Causes really low ACTH b/c lots of feedback on the Pit
-
*An umbrella term for overproduction of ACTH
+
*An umbrella term for overproduction of cortisol
**If it is a pit ACTH-producing tumor, then it is the disease.
**If it is a pit ACTH-producing tumor, then it is the disease.
*Primary is adrenocorticol carcinoma or adenoma
*Primary is adrenocorticol carcinoma or adenoma
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====Cushing's '''disease'''====
====Cushing's '''disease'''====
*A ''specific form of Cushing's syndrome''.
*A ''specific form of Cushing's syndrome''.
-
**'''Secondary cushing's syndrome'''
+
**Also known as '''Secondary cushing's syndrome'''
-
*Tumor of the pit htat makes ACTH
+
*Tumor of the pit that makes ACTH
*Similar outcome to syndrome (too much cortisol)
*Similar outcome to syndrome (too much cortisol)
*Can tell the diff b/c ACTH is high.
*Can tell the diff b/c ACTH is high.
*Presentation:
*Presentation:
**Key are high bp and high blood sugar.
**Key are high bp and high blood sugar.
-
Read it yourself
 
**Recall that these are all caused by high levels of cortisols
**Recall that these are all caused by high levels of cortisols
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====Hypoaldosteronism====
====Hypoaldosteronism====
*These pts usually present with hyperkalemia and hyponatremia.
*These pts usually present with hyperkalemia and hyponatremia.
 +
**Recall that aldosterone acts at the kidneys to cause Na (and H20) retention and to excrete K and H+.
**Also have orthostatic hypotension.
**Also have orthostatic hypotension.
 +
***This makes sense because if they don't retain enough Na and H20 then they will become hypovolemic and thus when they stand their cerebral blood pressure will drop.
*He won't test us on enzyme names in the flow chart of steroid production.
*He won't test us on enzyme names in the flow chart of steroid production.
-
 
====Primary aldosteronism====
====Primary aldosteronism====
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*Low cortisol
*Low cortisol
*High ACTH b/c of low feedback
*High ACTH b/c of low feedback
-
*Can be high androgens (not always)
+
*Can be high androgens (''not always though'')
*1:16k, thus tested
*1:16k, thus tested
*Enzymes:
*Enzymes:
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**Low mineralocorticoids
**Low mineralocorticoids
***Vomiting due to salt wasting, dehydration, death
***Vomiting due to salt wasting, dehydration, death
 +
***Na is not retained, water is lost.
 +
Why would vomitting occur because of salt wasting?
**Excess mineralocoriticoids
**Excess mineralocoriticoids
-
***Hypertension
+
***Hypertension (Na retained, water retained)
**Get the others.
**Get the others.
Line 258: Line 254:
*Low androgen, cortisol, and mineralocorticoids
*Low androgen, cortisol, and mineralocorticoids
*Causes....
*Causes....
-
 
====Catecholamine deficiencies====
====Catecholamine deficiencies====

Current revision as of 21:06, 21 March 2011


Contents

[edit] Adrenal glands

[edit] Objectives

[edit] Anatomy

  • Next to the kidneys = "ad" "renal"
  • Have great blood supply so they can be signaled and release their signals.
    • Plumbing is different on the left and right sides.

[edit] Histology

  • Two basic parts: cortex and medulla.
  • Cortex:
    • mesodermal orgin which makes sense because the mesoderm is generally found on the outside of the internal organs and the cortex is the outside part of the adrenal gland
    • Zona glomerulosa
    • Zona fasciculata
    • Zona reticularis
    • GoFaRM = glomerulosa, fasciculata, reticularis, medulla
  • Medulla is in the middle of the organ
    • Ectodermal origin which makes sense because it controls the catecholamines which are kind of nervous system like in the way they signal and the ectoderm makes the nervous system.
    • Cats: epi, NE
  • Cortex on the outside of the whole organ

[edit] Cortex

  • Part of the HPA axis (hypo, pit, adrenal)
  • Hypo makes CRH which is a positive secretory portal hormone
  • Corticotropes in pit make ACTH
  • ACTh has several roles on adrenal:
    • Causes growth
    • Causes changes in what the adrenal cells synthesize
    • Causes overgrowth in disease states
  • ACTH can be high when feedback loops are broken
    • I.e. cortisol not feeding back on hypo or pit, perhaps.


  • Separate types of feedback loops
    • More when we talk about growth hormone.

[edit] Corticotropin releasing hormone

  • CRF = CRH
  • CRF is a small peptide that binds receptors on pituitary cells, namely the corticotropes.
  • Promotes POMC production in corticotropes of pit
  • ACTH generated from the POMC gene
    • ACTH is a 39 aa peptide
    • ACTH is also known as corticotropin
    • ACTH affects the steroidogenic cells of the adrenal gland, especially the fasciculata and the reticularis.
    • NOTE: ACTH has less affect on the glomerulosa than the other two layers of the cortex.

[edit] ACTH

  • Hits target in cortex of adrenal.
  • Binds to an MC2R (receptor) on the cells of the cortex layers.
  • ACTH activates cAMP pathways via the MC2R receptor.

[edit] Zones of the adrenal gland

  • Glomerulosa
    • Makes adlosterone and deoxycorticosterone
    • Responds to reinin-angiotensin
  • Fasciculata
    • Makes cortisol and corticosterone
    • Resonds to ACTH
  • Reticularis
    • Makes Adrostendione and DHEA
    • Responds to ACTH
  • Reticularis and fasciculata will atrophy if pit is removed (because they respond to ACTH!).
  • All these products of these three zones are steroids.
  • Will not be tested on structure of steroids versus sterol.


  • Medulla
    • Makes CATS, mostly epi (adrenaline), some NE

[edit] Zone histology

  • There is discrete histology
  • Think of things as flowing stuff through the area
    • If an enzyme is missing, things flow in the other direction.

[edit] Stress and the adrenals

  • Short term stress: Cats
  • Long term stress: Corticosteroids via ACTH and the mineralocorticoids (glomerulosa, not via ACTH)

[edit] Steroidogenesis

  • Structures are for help, not tested.
  • He likes this diagram b/c it is layered with the layers: glomerulosa, fasciculata, and reticularis. ("layerd version")
  • Estradiol and test are not made at significant amounts in the adrenal.
    • Mostly DHEA is made and put in blood
    • Test and est made elsewhere.

[edit] Glucocorticoids (cortisol)

  • Cortisol is the major glucocorticoid made in humans.
    • Released in circadian rhythm
  • Go example of thinking about cycles when measuring hormones in pts.
  • Stress is a major player in cortisol release
    • via CRH-ACTH axis
  • A hormone carried in blood by binding proteins.
    • Corticoseteroid binding globulin (CBG)
    • Albumin
    • Transcortin
  • Glucocorticoids bind on glucocorticoid receptors, then HSPs then homodimerize to go into the nucleus to be a txn factor.
    • Txn factors work with partner prots to affect txn.
    • for cortisol, GR does not work direclty with partner proteins.

[edit] Cortisol effects on various systems

  • Acts on many, many tissues.
  • Read this, know this.
  • Most effects are "permissive"

[edit] Mineralocorticoids (aldosterone)

  • Made by zona glomerulosa
    • This makes sense because aldosterone acts at the kidney and the kidney has glomerula.
  • Aldosterone is the major one
  • Effects:
    • Increases interstitial Na (at the kidney); increases water retention
    • Decreases K+ and H+ (at the kidney)
[edit] Regulation
  • Read this
[edit] Pathway
  • Study this, he went really fast.
  • Aldosterone binds to cytoplasmic minteralocorticoid recetpors, uses HSPs, homodimersizes, etc.
  • Causes Na to be retained.
[edit] Metabolism of adrenal steroids
  • You have to make hormone action discrete so we control half-life and such.
  • Body has two mechanisms:
    • Modifications to inactivate
    • Modifications to increase solubility
      • Allows loss at urine
    • Done by adding sugar groups, etc.
  • Metabolites can be key diagnositic tools
    • Can help identify tumors
[edit] A non-receptor mechanism...
  • Enzymes that convert excessive glucocorticoids into non-responsive, non-MR binders gives us a way to control signaling if there's too much aldosterone.

[edit] Androgens

  • Major forms are adrostendione and DHEA
  • These are not present much in the adrenals b/c they are produced where blood flow in the adrenal exits.
[edit] Adrenarche
  • Androgens (and therfore the reticularis) are important for driving adrenarche.
  • This helps develop: pubic hair, auxillary hair, acne, and adult body odor.
  • one disease term is virulization; means that there is an excess of androgens and this axis is elevated

[edit] Adrenal diseases

  • Can be of excess or of insufficiency.

[edit] Addison's disease

  • JFK had Addison's disease.
  • Adrenocortico insufficiency:
    • Too little cortisol being produced
  • Primary Cause:
    • Autoimmune
    • Infectious
  • Secondary cause
    • Pit doesn't make enough ACTH
    • 1 in 100K so rare
  • Presentation:
    • Low cortisol
    • hypoglycemia
    • high ACTH
      • b/c no feedback:
        • could lead to adrenal hypertrophy,
        • could lead to odd coloring b/c it increases ACTH which has the sequence of the MSH hormone so it can activate the MSHr
    • high sex hormone precursors like ADHEA.
    • Loss of the aldosterone axis

[edit] Adrenal insufficiency

  • This diagram explains how to differentially diagnose adrenal issues.
  • It's a function of the ACTH and Cortisol levels
    • When ACTH is low...
    • If cortisol is low...
  • Adrenal insufficiency occurs in pit in the 2nd and 3rd from the left.

[edit] Cushing's syndrome

  • Diseases of excess of cortisol
  • Could be an adrenal tumor making too much cortisol.
  • Causes really low ACTH b/c lots of feedback on the Pit
  • An umbrella term for overproduction of cortisol
    • If it is a pit ACTH-producing tumor, then it is the disease.
  • Primary is adrenocorticol carcinoma or adenoma
  • Can also be caused by excessive exogenous glucocorticoids
    • And when stopped suddenly can cause an acute form of Addison's disease

[edit] Cushing's disease

  • A specific form of Cushing's syndrome.
    • Also known as Secondary cushing's syndrome
  • Tumor of the pit that makes ACTH
  • Similar outcome to syndrome (too much cortisol)
  • Can tell the diff b/c ACTH is high.
  • Presentation:
    • Key are high bp and high blood sugar.
    • Recall that these are all caused by high levels of cortisols

[edit] Other

  • Other tumors (in other parts of the body) that make ACTH or something that mimics ACTH.
    • "Ectopic ACTH secretion"
    • A certain rare type of lung cancer does this.

[edit] Hypoaldosteronism

  • These pts usually present with hyperkalemia and hyponatremia.
    • Recall that aldosterone acts at the kidneys to cause Na (and H20) retention and to excrete K and H+.
    • Also have orthostatic hypotension.
      • This makes sense because if they don't retain enough Na and H20 then they will become hypovolemic and thus when they stand their cerebral blood pressure will drop.
  • He won't test us on enzyme names in the flow chart of steroid production.

[edit] Primary aldosteronism

  • Conn syndrome
    • Production of aldosterone-producing adenoma.
See slide

[edit] Congenital adrenal hyperplasia

  • Babies tested at birth.
  • Deficiency of certain steroid synthesis enzymes
  • Low cortisol
  • High ACTH b/c of low feedback
  • Can be high androgens (not always though)
  • 1:16k, thus tested
  • Enzymes:
    • The enzyme missing affects the outcome
    • He named four major classes
  • Outcomes by outcome of deficiency:
    • Low mineralocorticoids
      • Vomiting due to salt wasting, dehydration, death
      • Na is not retained, water is lost.
Why would vomitting occur because of salt wasting?
    • Excess mineralocoriticoids
      • Hypertension (Na retained, water retained)
    • Get the others.
[edit] 21-hydroxylase deficiency
  • 90% of CAH cases are this.
  • Prevalent in Askanazi jews.
  • Salt wasting
  • Low cortisols
  • High levels of androgen precursors
    • Leads to virulization
[edit] 11-beta hydroxylase deficiency
  • Stops cortisol
  • build up of DHEA
  • You can make DOC, though, which can have corticosteroid affects.
    • Causes low-renin hypertension.
  • more rare
[edit] 17-hydroxylase defciency
  • Got confused, read about it, see email.
    • "I mislabeled the diagram – 17 hydroxylase is enzyme 3a not 3b – therefore low androgens and cortisol result. You can get high levels of DOC and therefore hypertension and hypokalemia. Due to the renin control system, aldosterone levels are not high."
  • The most rare.
[edit] 3-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase II
  • Low androgen, cortisol, and mineralocorticoids
  • Causes....

[edit] Catecholamine deficiencies

  • Adrenal medulla can be seen as modified part of autonomic nervous system.
    • Fight or flight.
  • Cells are anlogous to autonomic postganglionic symp fibers.
  • main homrons are adrenaline and nor-adrenaline
    • From tyrosine
    • Main ring is a catechol
  • Which is made is determined by which enzymes are present.
    • Cells usually make one or the other, not both.
    • The enzyemes are methyl-transferases.
      • Use folate?
  • Made by chromaffin cells
    • Granules are produced that hold the cats
    • Can be released rapidly.
  • 80% adrenaline, 20% noradrenaline.
[edit] Signaliing
  • Adrennergic receptors
    • Alpha
      • Interact with epi and norepi
    • Beta
      • More specific for epi
      • Beta blockers


  • Pathways:
    • Alpha 1 is main positive signal
    • alpha 2 is a feedback and has some negative actions
    • Major actions; read them.


  • Metabolism:
    • We look for vanillic acid
      • A biproduct is vanillymandelic acid
      • found in urine for "certain diseases"


  • medullary dysfunction
    • Hypofunction: orthostatic hypotnesion, low blood pressure, etc.
      • Often due to surgery to remove entire adrenal
    • Hyperfucntion:
      • Could be due to tumors or ectomic tumors (phaeochromocytomas)
        • Produces too much catecolamines
        • Often given blockers of adrenergic receptors
        • Elevated HR, bp, palpitations, sweating, headaches, psychiatric symptoms (religious delusions), et cetera.
        • Manic symptoms


  • stopped here on 03/02/11 at 12PM.
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