The chemical definition of hormone

Hormone, Greek original meaning "up activities", it is the body's metabolism, growth, development and reproduction play an important regulatory role.

Hormone is from the normal body generated by certain tissues, and then diffuse into the blood, transported by the blood circulation to other body tissues, play a special physiological role in a class of chemical substances.

Hormone is a highly differentiated endocrine cell synthesis and direct secretion of blood into the chemical information material, which by regulating the metabolism of various tissue cells to affect the body's physiological activities. Endocrine glands or endocrine cells secreted by the efficient bioactive substances in the body as a messenger to transmit information on the body's physiological processes regulate the role of substances known as hormones. It is an important material in our lives.

To pass through the blood circulation or tissue fluid transmission of information from the role of chemical substances, are known as hormones. The secretion of hormones are very small, in nanograms (billionths of a gram) level, but its regulation are very obvious. Hormonal effect is very broad, but does not participate in the specific metabolic process, only on specific metabolic and physiological processes play a regulatory role in regulating the speed of metabolism and physiological processes and direction, so that the body's activities more adaptable to internal and external environmental changes.

Mechanism of Hormone

Hormonal mechanism of action is through the cell membrane or the cytoplasm of the specific receptor protein binding to the information into the cell, causing a series of intracellular changes in the corresponding chain, and finally express the physiological effects of hormones. The main physiological role of hormones: through the regulation of protein, sugar and fat and other substances metabolism and water and salt metabolism, maintaining metabolic balance, to provide energy for physiological activities; promote cell division and differentiation, to ensure the normal growth of tissues, organs, Development and maturation, and affect the aging process; affect the nervous system development and its activities; promote reproductive organ development and maturation, regulating the reproductive process; closely with the nervous system, so that the body can better adapt to environmental changes. Research hormone can not only understand some of the hormones on animals and human growth, development, reproductive effects and pathogenesis of the mechanism can also be used to determine the hormone to diagnose the disease. Many hormone preparations and their synthetic products for clinical treatment and agricultural production. The use of genetic engineering methods to make certain bacteria production hormones, such as growth hormone, insulin and other has become a reality, and has been widely used clinically, as the treatment of diabetes, dwarfism and other good medicine.

Hormones in the human body, although the amount of small, but there is a great impact on health, lack of or cause too many diseases, such as: excessive secretion of growth hormone can cause gigantism, too little secretion will cause dwarf Excessive secretion of thyroxine will lead to heart palpitations, sweat and other symptoms, too little secretion can lead to obesity, lethargy; insulin secretion will lead to diabetes. Many hormonal preparations and synthetic products in medicine and animal husbandry have important uses.

Hormonal transmission

1, long-distance secretion, directly after the release of hormones into the capillaries, the blood circulation to the distant target organ;

2, paracrine, hormone release into the extracellular fluid, by diffusion to reach the adjacent target cells;

3, nerve secretion, nerve cell synthesis of hormones along the axillary flow transported to the connected tissue, or from the nerve endings into the capillaries, transported by the blood to the target cells;

4, autocrine, hormones are secreted into the extracellular fluid, but also acts on the secretion of cells themselves.

Hormone metabolism

Hormones from the secretion into the blood, through metabolism to disappear (or disappear biological activity) by the length of time. To indicate the rate of hormone renewal, hormone activity is generally used in the blood disappeared half of the time, known as the half-life, as a measure of. Some half-life of hormones only a few seconds; others can be up to a few days. The half-life must be distinguished from the rate of action and duration of action. The rate at which hormones act depends on the way they function; the duration of the action depends on whether or not hormone secretion continues. The disappearance of hormones can be diluted by the blood, by tissue uptake, metabolic inactivation by the liver and kidney, with urine, excreted in vitro.

Clinical application of hormones

【Severe infection】

Such as toxic dysentery, typhoid sepsis, fulminant epidemic meningitis, toxic pneumonia and other effects of adjuvant therapy. Must be combined with sufficient quantities of antimicrobial agents.

【Treatment of inflammation and prevent sequelae of inflammation】

1) ophthalmic topical for iritis, keratitis (inflammation of the anterior eye), systemic for retinitis, optic neuritis (posterior eye inflammation), can reduce inflammation, inhibition of proliferation, adhesion and scar formation;

2) can reduce tuberculous meningitis, tuberculous peritonitis and other oozing, to prevent excessive tissue damage, inhibition of adhesion and scar formation.

3) early for pericarditis, orchitis, traumatic arthritis, burns, etc., can reduce inflammation, to prevent the sequelae of adhesions and scars.

【Anti-shock】

For toxic shock and anaphylactic shock commonly used drugs.

【For allergic diseases】

Allergic diseases such as bronchial asthma, allergic shock, allergic rhinitis, exfoliative dermatitis, angioneurotic edema, serum disease, severe blood transfusion reactions, allergic dermatitis, drug dermatitis, intractable urticaria, eczema. Autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, dermatomyositis, rheumatic myocarditis, scleroderma, nephrotic syndrome, chronic active hepatitis, ulcerative colitis, autoimmune Hemolytic anemia, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, pemphigus, myasthenia gravis, rheumatic fever and so on. Organ Transplantation Rejection.

【Treatment of blood diseases】

Such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia, aplastic anemia, granulocytopenia, thrombocytopenia, autoimmune hemolytic anemia and allergic purpura.

【Alternative therapy】

Applies to the treatment of anterior pituitary hypofunction, adrenal insufficiency (including adrenal crisis and Addison disease) and adrenalectomy.

【Topical application】

Treatment of skin diseases such as contact dermatitis, eczema, anal itching, psoriasis, etc. are effective.