Hypothalamic Regulation of the Pituitary

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Hypothalamic Regulation of the Pituitary

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 HormonesAbbreviationRegulates 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)