Hypothalamic-pituitary hormone

Hypothalamic-pituitary hormones are hormones that are produced by the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. Although the organs in which they are produced are relatively small, the effects of these hormones cascade throughout the body. They can be classified as a hypothalamic-pituitary axis (HP axis) of which the HPA, HPG, and HPT axes are branches.

Hormones of the hypothalamic-pituitary-end organ axis^[1]

	HPT axis	HPA axis	HPG axis	Growth	Lactation
Hypothalamic hormone	TRH	CRH	GnRH	GHRH	Dopamine (inhibitor)
Pituitary hormone	TSH	ACTH	LH and FSH	GH	Prolactin
End organ	Thyroid	Adrenal	Gonads (Testes or ovaries)	Liver	Breast gland
Product	Thyroxine	Cortisol	Testosterone or estradiol	IGF-1	Milk (no feedback)

It is possible for the function of these hormones to be altered by physical activity.^[2]

References

1. Melmed S, Jameson JL (2005). "Disorders of the anterior pituitary and hypothalamus". In Kasper DL, Braunwald E, Fauci AS, et al. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine (16th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. pp. 2076–97. ISBN 0-07-139140-1.
2. Bobbert T, Brechtel L, Mai K, et al. (November 2005). "Adaptation of the hypothalamic-pituitary hormones during intensive endurance training". Clinical endocrinology. 63 (5): 530–6. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2265.2005.02377.x. PMID 16268805.