Physiological Implications of Pulsatile Hormone Secretion
Physiological Implications of Pulsatile Hormone Secretion
复制标题
脉动激素分泌的生理意义
DOI:
10.1111/j.1749-6632.1991.tb27235.x
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发表时间:
1991
影响因子:
5.2
通讯作者:
D. Matthews
中科院分区:
文献类型:
--
作者:
D. Matthews
Pulsatile secretion of hormones has long been a problem to endocrinologists attempting to define normality and deviations from normality.'In the past pulsatility was seen as a nuisance to the endocrinologist trying to establish normal ranges and pathological deviations. Similarly pharmacologists often regarded the fluctuations of drugs within the body as a obstacle to be overcome. But not all drugs have the same attributes, and although fluctuating concentrations are still a difficulty in some therapeutic situations, there are other occasions when pulsatility is beneficial or even mandatory for successful outcome of treatment. An approximate classification of types of drugs can clarify and highlight these different therapeutic aims (TABLE I), which may differ radically. Antibiotics are needed in concentrations such that all bacteria will die, and subtoxic levels persisting for any length of time will induce resistant strains. Levels need to be maintained well above the ED5o for as long as an infection persists.? For other substances (eg, vitamins), there is probably no necessity for any particular dose level or time relationship-" enough" is all that is needed; the body has sufficient capacity to buffer shortages and to store an excess. But a third major category is that of hormones which need to be delivered with specific temporal patterns, and these are discussed below.Examining chemical signals (hormones) for their chronobiological attributes, it emerges that they are secreted in pulses. These pulses have now been described for in~ ulin,~,~ glu~ agon,~.~ somato~ tatin,~.~ C-peptide, 9.'o growth hormone (GH),"*'* corti~ ol,'~ luteinizing hormone (LH), l4. lS thyrotropin stimulating hormone (TSH), I6 and prolactin." Indeed, the phenomenon of oscillatory secretion is so widely found in animal physiology that it can be regarded as a fundamental principle. I8 The pulsatile nature of the endocrine system is so important or so efficient or so economical or so sensitive that evolution has dictated that hormones should preferentially adopt this method of signaling. Why should this be so? There are emerging principles and insights that reflect that pulsatility may be one of the most important features of endocrinology. Insulin secretion is used here as an example of some of the mechanisms involved, but many of the conclusions can be applied, by analogy, to other systems.