Editing Hypothalamus (section)

===Hormone release===
[[File:Endocrine central nervous en.svg|thumbnail|[[Endocrine gland]]s in the human head and neck and their hormones]]
The hypothalamus has a central [[neuroendocrine]] function, most notably by its control of the [[anterior pituitary]], which in turn regulates various endocrine glands and organs. [[Releasing hormone]]s (also called releasing factors) are produced in hypothalamic nuclei then transported along [[axons]] to either the [[median eminence]] or the [[posterior pituitary]], where they are stored and released as needed.<ref>{{cite web|vauthors=Bowen R|title=Overview of Hypothalamic and Pituitary Hormones|url=http://www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/endocrine/hypopit/overview.html|access-date=5 October 2014|archive-date=1 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190301174400/http://www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/endocrine/hypopit/overview.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

;Anterior pituitary
In the hypothalamic–adenohypophyseal axis, releasing hormones, also known as hypophysiotropic or hypothalamic hormones, are released from the median eminence, a prolongation of the hypothalamus, into the [[hypophyseal portal system]], which carries them to the anterior pituitary where they exert their regulatory functions on the secretion of adenohypophyseal hormones.<ref name=MelmedJameson>{{cite book |vauthors=Melmed S, Jameson JL |veditors=Kasper DL, Braunwald E, Fauci AS |title=Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine|url=https://archive.org/details/harrisonsprincip00kasp |url-access=limited |edition=16th |year=2005 |publisher=McGraw-Hill |location=New York, NY |isbn=978-0-07-139140-5 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/harrisonsprincip00kasp/page/n2104 2076]–97 |chapter=Disorders of the anterior pituitary and hypothalamus|display-editors=etal}}</ref> These hypophysiotropic hormones are stimulated by parvocellular neurosecretory cells located in the periventricular area of the hypothalamus. After their release into the capillaries of the third ventricle, the hypophysiotropic hormones travel through what is known as the hypothalamo-pituitary portal circulation. Once they reach their destination in the anterior pituitary, these hormones bind to specific receptors located on the surface of pituitary cells. Depending on which cells are activated through this binding, the pituitary will either begin secreting or stop secreting hormones into the rest of the bloodstream.<ref>{{cite book | vauthors = Bear MF, Connors BW, Paradiso MA | chapter = Hypothalamic Control of the Anterior Pituitary | title = Neuroscience: Exploring the Brain |edition=4th|location=Philadelphia| publisher=Wolters Kluwer|year=2016|page=528|isbn=978-0-7817-7817-6}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" width=100%
! width=25% | Secreted hormone !! width=6% | Abbreviation !! width=17% | Produced by !! Effect
|-
! [[Thyrotropin-releasing hormone]] <br>(Prolactin-releasing hormone)
| TRH, TRF, or PRH || [[Parvocellular neurosecretory cell]]s of the [[paraventricular nucleus]] || Stimulate [[Thyroid-stimulating hormone|thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)]] release from [[anterior pituitary]] (primarily) <br>Stimulate [[prolactin]] release from [[anterior pituitary]]
|-
! [[Corticotropin-releasing hormone]]
| CRH or CRF || Parvocellular neurosecretory cells of the paraventricular nucleus || Stimulate [[Adrenocorticotropic hormone|adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)]] release from [[anterior pituitary]]
|-
! [[Dopamine]] <br>(Prolactin-inhibiting hormone)
| DA or PIH || [[Arcuate nucleus|Dopamine neurons of the arcuate nucleus]] || Inhibit [[prolactin]] release from [[anterior pituitary]]
|-
! [[Growth-hormone-releasing hormone]]
| GHRH || [[Neuroendocrine]] neurons of the [[Arcuate nucleus]] || Stimulate [[Growth hormone|growth-hormone (GH)]] release from [[anterior pituitary]]
|-
! [[Gonadotropin-releasing hormone]]
| GnRH or LHRH || [[Neuroendocrine]] cells of the [[Preoptic area]] || Stimulate [[Follicle-stimulating hormone|follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)]] release from [[anterior pituitary]] <br>Stimulate [[Luteinizing hormone|luteinizing hormone (LH)]] release from [[anterior pituitary]]
|-
! [[Somatostatin]]<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Ben-Shlomo A, Melmed S | title = Pituitary somatostatin receptor signaling | journal = Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism | volume = 21 | issue = 3 | pages = 123–33 | date = March 2010 | pmid = 20149677 | pmc = 2834886 | doi = 10.1016/j.tem.2009.12.003 }}</ref> <br>(growth-hormone-inhibiting hormone)
| SS, GHIH, or SRIF || [[Neuroendocrine]] cells of the [[Periventricular nucleus]] || Inhibit [[Growth hormone|growth-hormone (GH)]] release from [[anterior pituitary]] <br>Inhibit (moderately) [[Thyroid-stimulating hormone|thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)]] release from [[anterior pituitary]]
|}

Other hormones secreted from the median eminence include [[vasopressin]], [[oxytocin]], and [[neurotensin]].<ref name=horn>{{cite journal | vauthors = Horn AM, Robinson IC, Fink G | title = Oxytocin and vasopressin in rat hypophysial portal blood: experimental studies in normal and Brattleboro rats | journal = The Journal of Endocrinology | volume = 104 | issue = 2 | pages = 211–24 | date = February 1985 | pmid = 3968510 | doi = 10.1677/joe.0.1040211 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Date Y, Mondal MS, Matsukura S, Ueta Y, Yamashita H, Kaiya H, Kangawa K, Nakazato M | title = Distribution of orexin/hypocretin in the rat median eminence and pituitary | journal = Brain Research. Molecular Brain Research | volume = 76 | issue = 1 | pages = 1–6 | date = March 2000 | pmid = 10719209 | doi = 10.1016/s0169-328x(99)00317-4 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Watanobe H, Takebe K | title = In vivo release of neurotensin from the median eminence of ovariectomized estrogen-primed rats as estimated by push-pull perfusion: correlation with luteinizing hormone and prolactin surges | journal = Neuroendocrinology | volume = 57 | issue = 4 | pages = 760–4 | date = April 1993 | pmid = 8367038 | doi = 10.1159/000126434 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Spinazzi R, Andreis PG, Rossi GP, Nussdorfer GG | title = Orexins in the regulation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis | journal = Pharmacological Reviews | volume = 58 | issue = 1 | pages = 46–57 | date = March 2006 | pmid = 16507882 | doi = 10.1124/pr.58.1.4 | s2cid = 17941978 }}</ref>

;Posterior pituitary
In the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis, [[neurohypophysial hormone]]s are released from the posterior pituitary, which is actually a prolongation of the hypothalamus, into the circulation.

{| class="wikitable" width=100%
! width=25% | Secreted hormone !! width=6% | Abbreviation !! width=17% | Produced by !! Effect
|-
! [[Oxytocin]]
| OXY or OXT || [[Magnocellular neurosecretory cell]]s of the paraventricular nucleus and [[supraoptic nucleus]] || [[Uterine contraction]] <br>[[Letdown reflex|Lactation (letdown reflex)]] <!--Not effects from hypothalamus: sexual arousal, bonding, trust, material behavior-->
|-
! [[Vasopressin]] <br>(antidiuretic hormone)
| ADH or AVP || Magnocellular and parvocellular neurosecretory cells of the paraventricular nucleus, magnocellular cells in supraoptic nucleus || Increase in the permeability to water of the cells of [[distal tubule]] and [[collecting duct]] in the kidney and thus allows water reabsorption and excretion of concentrated urine
|}

It is also known that [[hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis]] (HPA) hormones are related to certain skin diseases and skin homeostasis. There is evidence linking hyperactivity of HPA hormones to stress-related skin diseases and skin tumors.<ref>{{cite web|title=Expression of Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Adrenal Axis in Common Skin Diseases: Evidence of its Association with Stress-related Disease Activity|url=http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=8239d5d4-8cd4-48b0-b25c-e1218229f462%40sessionmgr115&vid=11&hid=122|publisher=National Research Foundation of Korea|access-date=4 March 2014|author1=Jung Eun Kim |author2=Baik Kee Cho |author3=Dae Ho Cho |author4=Hyun Jeong Park |year=2013}}</ref>