Glucocorticoid Hormones Research Paper

This paper illustrates how oscillations can affect different hormones and specifically focuses on how oscillations of glucocorticoid hormones play a vital role in the circadian activity of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. To understand this concept, it is important to know what oscillations are and how they are impactful. It is widely accepted that all atoms oscillate or move. This occurs both in our environment and in our own bodies. Dynamic movement is actually necessary for us to maintain homeostasis. Movement helps in all of our organ systems. This paper specifically focuses on oscillations in the neuroendocrine system, which includes the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is a set of direct influences and feedback interactions among three endocrine glands: the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland and the adrenal …show more content…
This is done by assuming that there will be an increase in plasma glucocorticoid levels. This process starts with the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus specifically provides circadian regulation by inhibiting corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) from neurons of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN). These neurons release CRH which triggers a release of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) into the systemic circulation. According to the author of this paper, there is a feedforward/feedback interaction between pituitary corticotroph-derived ACTH and adrenal cortical-derived CORT, with an evident delay in the feedforward part of the loop. This indirectly proves that there is oscillatory activity. Without this feedback and feedforward process occurring, there would be no circadian rhythm which would consequently cause issues in other organ systems and disturb homeostasis in the organism. This mechanism is present in all