Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Regulation of Hormone Secretion

Regulation of Hormone Secretion

Regulation of hormone secretion is a finely tuned orchestration driven by various types of stimuli, encompassing neural, humoral, and hormonal signals. Environmental cues instigate neural stimuli, where action potentials traverse nerve fibers to reach their designated targets. An illustrative scenario is the body's response to stress, wherein the sympathetic nervous system releases epinephrine from the adrenal glands, inducing the well-known 'fight or flight' reaction.
Humoral stimuli,...

Target Cell Response to Hormones

Target Cell Response to Hormones

Hormones intricately bind to receptors on the surface or within target cells, initiating a cascade of cellular responses.
Notably, the cellular response can be regulated by altering the number of receptors expressed in the cell. For example, prolonged exposure to elevated hormone levels results in a gradual decline or down-regulation in the number of receptors for that specific hormone on the cell surface. Conversely, in response to low hormone levels, cells may use up-regulation, producing an...

Chemical Signaling in the Endocrine System

Chemical Signaling in the Endocrine System

A signaling cascade is a series of events that facilitates the transmission of information within or between cells, culminating in a targeted response in the recipient cell. As chemical messengers, hormones are pivotal in initiating and modulating these intricate signaling cascades based on their solubility.
Lipid-soluble hormones, such as steroid hormones, demonstrate an intracellular action. These hormones traverse cell membranes due to their lipid nature. Once inside the target cell, they...

Dose-Response Relationship: Potency and Efficacy

Dose-Response Relationship: Potency and Efficacy

The potency of a drug is the measure of its ability to produce a biological response and can be compared by looking at the half-maximum effective concentration or EC50 values of different drugs. A lower EC50 value indicates higher potency of the drug. In the dose–response curve of two antihypertensive drugs, candesartan and irbesartan, a significant difference is observed in their EC50 values. A lower EC50 value for candesartan indicates that it is more potent than irbesartan, as it produces...

An Overview of the Endocrine System

An Overview of the Endocrine System

The endocrine system, a complex network of glands, orchestrates physiological balance within the body through the production and secretion of hormones. These hormones are chemical messengers in intercellular communication, acting as conduits between the secretory cells and distant target sites. They traverse the circulatory system by being released into the extracellular fluid, and their impact is specific to cells possessing receptors for a particular hormone.
The endocrine system collaborates...

Major Hormones and Their Functions

Major Hormones and Their Functions

Hormones, the biochemical messengers produced by endocrine glands, are pivotal in regulating bodily functions and maintaining homeostasis. Each hormone's balance is crucial; imbalances can lead to significant physiological disruptions. Major hormones include oxytocin, cortisol, epinephrine, estrogen, testosterone, thyroxine, growth hormone, insulin, and glucagon.
Oxytocin, produced in the hypothalamus and released by the pituitary gland, plays a role in social bonding, childbirth, and lactation.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Hypothesis-driven weight of evidence evaluation indicates ethylbenzene lacks endocrine disruption potential by EATS pathways.

EXCLI journal·2025

Same author

Octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4) lacks endocrine disruptive potential via estrogen pathways.

Archives of toxicology·2025

Same author

Kinetically-derived maximal dose (KMD) confirms lack of human relevance for high-dose effects of octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4).

Archives of toxicology·2025

Same author

The physiological and biochemical basis of potency thresholds modeled using human estrogen receptor alpha: implications for identifying endocrine disruptors.

Archives of toxicology·2024

Same author

Kinetically-derived maximal dose (KMD) indicates lack of human carcinogenicity of ethylbenzene.

Archives of toxicology·2023

Same author

Issue analysis: key characteristics approach for identifying endocrine disruptors.

Archives of toxicology·2023

Same journal

Acute Oral Toxicity and Systemic Pathological Effects of Methiopropamine in Female ICR Mice.

Regulatory toxicology and pharmacology : RTP·2026

Same journal

Applying the Omics Data Analysis Framework for Regulatory Application (R-ODAF) filtering criteria: A Case Study with 3-Methylcholanthrene.

Regulatory toxicology and pharmacology : RTP·2026

Same journal

Cardiovascular toxicity as a globally harmonized system hazard trait: The evidence and the path forward.

Regulatory toxicology and pharmacology : RTP·2026

Same journal

The NTP chronic inhalation study does not support an inherent lung cancer hazard of talc: Implications of lung particle overload and maximum tolerated dose.

Regulatory toxicology and pharmacology : RTP·2026

Same journal

Consideration of carcinogenicity and mode of action information by an independent expert panel to support derivation of no-significant-risk-level values for vinyl acetate monomer.

Regulatory toxicology and pharmacology : RTP·2026

Same journal

Which carcinogenicity study should I use? Automated identification of reliable studies.

Regulatory toxicology and pharmacology : RTP·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 9, 2026

In vivo Characterization of Endocrine Disrupting Chemical Effects via Thyroid Hormone Action Indicator Mouse

In vivo Characterization of Endocrine Disrupting Chemical Effects via Thyroid Hormone Action Indicator Mouse

Published on: October 6, 2023

Potency matters: thresholds govern endocrine activity.

Christopher J Borgert¹, Stephen P Baker, John C Matthews

¹Applied Pharmacology & Toxicology, Inc., C.E.H.T, University of Florida, Department of Physiological Sciences, 2250 NW 24th Ave., Gainesville, Fl 32605, United States.

Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology : RTP

|July 11, 2013

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Endocrine disruptors may have safe exposure levels. The endocrine system naturally distinguishes between hormonal signals and background noise, allowing for the definition of thresholds for chemical effects.

Keywords:

Endocrine active substances Endocrine disruption Endocrine pharmacology Hormone affinity Hormone efficacy Hormone potency Potency threshold

More Related Videos

Combining Behavioral Endocrinology and Experimental Economics: Testosterone and Social Decision Making

Combining Behavioral Endocrinology and Experimental Economics: Testosterone and Social Decision Making

Published on: March 2, 2011

Establishment of Rat Models Mimicking Gender-affirming Hormone Therapies

Establishment of Rat Models Mimicking Gender-affirming Hormone Therapies

Published on: January 10, 2025

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 9, 2026

In vivo Characterization of Endocrine Disrupting Chemical Effects via Thyroid Hormone Action Indicator Mouse

In vivo Characterization of Endocrine Disrupting Chemical Effects via Thyroid Hormone Action Indicator Mouse

Published on: October 6, 2023

Combining Behavioral Endocrinology and Experimental Economics: Testosterone and Social Decision Making

Combining Behavioral Endocrinology and Experimental Economics: Testosterone and Social Decision Making

Published on: March 2, 2011

Establishment of Rat Models Mimicking Gender-affirming Hormone Therapies

Establishment of Rat Models Mimicking Gender-affirming Hormone Therapies

Published on: January 10, 2025

Area of Science:

Endocrinology
Toxicology
Regulatory Science

Background:

The European Union questions if safe exposure thresholds exist for endocrine-active substances and endocrine-disrupting chemicals.
Concerns arise from the endocrine system's complexity and the potential for exogenous chemicals to interfere with endogenous hormones.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the scientific basis for establishing thresholds for endocrine disruption.
To determine if safe exposure levels can be estimated for chemicals with endocrine activity.

Main Methods:

Review of fundamental principles of hormonal action: affinity, efficacy, potency, and mass action.
Analysis of the endocrine system's inherent ability to discriminate hormonal signals from background molecular noise.

Main Results:

The endocrine system's vital signaling functions necessitate the discrimination of potent hormonal signals from less active endogenous molecules.
This discriminatory ability inherently defines thresholds for hormonal effect induction, essential for normal physiology.

Conclusions:

Fundamental principles of endocrinology support the existence of thresholds for endocrine effects.
These thresholds allow for the estimation of safe exposure levels for exogenous chemicals, including potential endocrine disruptors.