ANTERIOR PITUITARY
HORMONES
PROLACTINE/TSH/ACTH/FSH/LH
By
Mr.S.KAMESHWARAN.,M.Pharm.,(Ph.D).
Associate Professor, Excel College of Pharmacy
Komarapalayam, Namakkal, Tamilnadu, India.

PITUITARY HORMONES
ANTERIOR:
♫Growth hormones(GH)
♫Prolactin (Prl)
♫Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)
♫Thyroid stimulating hormone(TSH)
♫Gonadotropins (hormones having stimulatory
action on gonads)
Follicle stimulating hormone(FSH)
Luteinizing hormone(LH)
POSTERIOR:
Oxytocin
Anti diuretic hormone (ADH, VASOPRESSIN)

PROLACTIN
It contains 199 Amino acid
Molecular weight -23000 Dalton
Chemically similar to GH
It is a single chain peptide
The hormone which causes
secretion of milk from crop glands of
pigeon.
Pigeon - Bird (milk is similar in composition
to mammalian milk)

PHYSIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS
Cause growth and development of
breast during pregnancy
Promotes proliferation of ductal and
acinar cells in the breast and induces
synthesis of milk protein and lactose.
After child birth prolactin induces milk
secretion.
Prolactin may affect immune response
through action on T-Lymphocytes.

RECEPTOR
☻Prolactin receptor present on the surface of
target cells.
☻It is a tyrosine kinase receptor
REGULATION OF SECRETION:
No specific factors identified to release the
prolactin.
 Dopaminergic antagonist stimulates
prolactin secretion
PRIH from hypothalamus (Dopamine) act on
D2 receptor & blocks prolactin secretion.
Secretion is high during pregnancy and
lactation.

PHATHALOGICAL INVOLVEMENT:
 Increased Prolactin secretion
(hyperprolactinaemia) may lead to
Female:
Galactorrhoea- Amenorrhea- Infertility
Galactorrhoea- spontaneous flow of milk from the
breast, unassociated with childbirth
Amenorrhea- absence of a menstrual period in a
woman of reproductive age
Infertility- inability to conceive a baby
Male:
Loss of libido (loss of sex drive), Decrease
fertility.

PROLACTIN INHIBITORS:
BROMOCRIPTINE & CABERGOLINE
BROMOCRIPTINE:
 Synthetic ergot derivative.
Potent dopamine agonist, greater action on dopamine
D2 receptor
Decreased prolactin release from pituitary
 Has levadopa like action,
 Decrease GI motility.
ADR:
Constipation
Nasal blockage
Hypotension
USES:
Hyper prolactinemia
Acromegaly
Parkinsonism

GONADOTROPINS (FSH & LH)
Gonadotropins contains TWO different
hormones
Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)
Luteinizing hormone (LH)
♣ Contain 207 Amino acids,
♣ Has two peptide chain
♣ MW :FSH-32000 Dalton, LH-30,000 Dalton
PHYSIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS:
♣ Promote GAMETOGENESIS (spermatogenesis)
and SECRETION OF GONADAL HORMONES

FSH:
♥ In female
Induce Follicular growth, development of
ovum, secretion of estrogens.
♥ In male
Support spermatogenesis.
LH:
♀ Female:
It induce preovulatory swelling of the ripe
grafian follicle & triggers ovulation.
Followed by luteinization of the ruptured
follicle & sustains corpus luteum till the next
menstrual cycle.

REGULATION OF SECRETION
GnRH produced by hypothalamus
Stimulate synthesis & release of both FSH& LH
from pituitary.
Gn secretion increased at puberty, higher in
women than man.

PATHALOGICAL INVOLVEMENT
Disturbance of Gn secretion
 It produce Delayed puberty.
Decreased Gn secretion
Women Amenorrhea, sterility (inability of a
living organism to effect sexual reproduction )
Man Oligozospermia (semen with a low
concentration of sperm), impotence (Erectile
dysfunction), infertility.

PREPARATIONS
1. MENOTROPINS (FSH + LH),
- Obtained from urine of menopausal women,
2. MENOTROPIN (FSH),
3 .HUMAN CHRONIC GONADOTROPIN (HCG),
- Obtained from urine of pregnant women.
ADR:
Polycystic ovary
Pain in lower abdomen
Ovarian bleeding
Allergic reactions
USES:
Amenorrhea & infertility
Hypogonadotrophic Hypogonadism in male
Cryptorchism (failure of one or both of the testes to
descend into the scrotum)

THYROID STIMULATING HORMONE (TSH)
Consist of 210 Amino acids,
Two chain glycoprotein,
MW-30,000 Dalton.
PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTION:
TSH stimulating the thyroid gland
Stimulated thyroid synthesize the following
hormones:
Thyroxine (T4)
Triiodothyronine (T3)

TSH produce,
 Hyperplasia & hypertrophy (increase in the
volume of an organ or tissue due to the enlargement
of its component cells) of thyroid follicles,
increase in blood supply to the glands
 Promotes trapping of iodide by thyroid
PATHOLOGICAL INVOLVEMENT:
Hypothyroidism & hyperthyroidism
USE:
 Thyrotropin- No therapeutic use,
 Thyroxine- Choice of drug in hypothyroidism

ADRENOCORTICOTROPHIC HORMONES
(ACTH)
Consists of 39 Amino acid
Single peptide chain, MW- 4500 Dalton
PHYSIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS:
 It promotes steroidogenesis in adrenal cortex.

…Thank u