Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Isolation of Targeted Hypothalamic Neurons for Studies of Hormonal, Metabolic, and Electrical Regulation
Published on: August 4, 2023
Purinergic regulation of hypothalamopituitary functions
1Section on Cellular Signaling, Program in Developmental Neuroscience, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-4510, USA. stankos@helix.nih.gov
Abstract:
The hypothalamus controls the release of hormones by the pituitary and is involved in control of food and water intake, sexual behavior, reproduction and daily cycles in physiological state and behavior, temperature regulation and emotional responses. Adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP) and its metabolic products contribute to these functions, acting as agonists for adenosine and P2Y receptors and two-transmembrane domain P2X receptor channels. This review summarizes the recent findings on purinergic receptor expression and their roles in signaling and cellular function in secretory and supporting cells of the hypothalamopituitary system. ATP secretion by these tissues, the enzymes involved in ATP hydrolysis, and the relevance of this pathway for sequential activation of receptors and termination of signaling are also discussed.
Related Concept Videos
Hormones of the Pituitary Gland
The most abundantly secreted hormone from the anterior lobe is the growth hormone, which controls overall growth by...
Regulation of Hormone Secretion
Humoral stimuli,...
Regulation of Food Intake
Hypothalamic-Pituitary Axis
Major Hormones and Their Functions
Oxytocin, produced in the hypothalamus and released by the pituitary gland, plays a role in social bonding, childbirth, and lactation.
The Pituitary Gland
