Hormones disorders

Hypersecretion of glucocorticoids
Hyper secretion of cortisol ( cushing’s syndrome ) has a wide variety of effects but they may not all be present at the same time.
These include.
- Painful adiposity of the face ( moon face), neck and trunk
- Excess protein catabolism, causing thinning of sub-cutaneous tissue and muscle, wasting, especially of the limbs.
- Suppression of growth hormone, causing arrest of growth in children.
- Osteoporosis and kyphosis, if vertebral bodies are involved
- Susceptibility to infection due to reduced febrile response, depressed immune response and phagocytosis, impaired migration of phagocytes.
- Insomnia, excitability, euphoria, psychotic depression.
- Hypertension menstrual disturbances, peptic ulceration
Hyposecretion of glucocorticoids
Inadequate secretion of cortisol causes diminished gluconeogenesis, low blood glucose, muscle weakness and pallor.
Hypersecretion of mineralocorticoids
Excess aldosterone (conn’s syndrome) affects kidney function, causing
- Excessive reabsorption of sodium chloride and water causing hypertension
- Excessive excretion of potassium causing hypokalemia, which leads to cardiac arrhythmia and muscle weakness.
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Hyposecretion of mineralocorticoids
Hypoaldosteronism results in failure of kidneys to regulate sodium, potassium and water excretion, leading to Blood sodium deficiency and potassium excess Dehydration, low blood volume and low blood pressure

Addison’s disease is due to the hyposecretion of all adrenal cortex hormones. There is electrolyte upset with low plasma Na+ through increased urinary elimination and high plasma K+, reduced blood volume, lower blood pressure, marked anaemia, hypoglycaemia, great muscular weakness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and bronze pigmentation.

Chemical co-ordination and intigration