The proximity of the hypothalamus and pituitary provide for a short feedback loop designed to minimize misdirected hypothalamic signals to the pituitary. These releasing and inhibitory factors from the hypothalamus are categorized as hormones because they travel through the blood and produce a specific effect on a target tissue. Some of the well-characterized releasing or inhibitory factors are included in the table below.
Table 1: Hypothalamic Hormones Hypothalamic Hormones | Abbreviation | Regulates Pituitary Hormone |
Corticotropin-releasing hormone | CRH | Adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) |
Thyrotropin-releasing hormone | TRH | Thyroid-stimulating Hormone (TSH) |
Growth hormone-releasing hormone | GH-RH | Growth Hormone (GH) |
Somatostatin, or Somatotropin release-inhibiting factor | SRIF | Growth Hormone (GH) |
Gonadotropin- releasing hormone, or Luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone | Gn-RH | Follicle stimulating Hormone (FSH) Luteinizing Hormone (LH) |
Prolactin inhibiting factor, or Dopamine | PIF | Prolactin (PRL) |