Inhibitinghormonen

Inhibitinghormonen are substances that suppress the secretion or action of other hormones or glands, and they play a role in the body’s endocrine feedback systems. They are often discussed in contrast with releasing hormones, which stimulate hormone release, and they can be peptides, amines, or proteins produced by various tissues.

In the hypothalamic-pituitary axis, inhibiting hormones help regulate anterior pituitary function. Notable examples include somatostatin (growth hormone‑inhibiting hormone), which lowers the release of growth hormone and thyroid-stimulating hormone, and dopamine, which acts as a prolactin-inhibiting factor to reduce prolactin secretion. Inhibins, produced by the gonads, also serve an inhibitory function by suppressing follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) release from the anterior pituitary. These inhibiting signals work alongside releasing hormones to fine-tune hormone levels through negative feedback and portal‑system regulation.

Mechanistically, inhibitinghormonen bind to specific receptors on pituitary cells or other target tissues, triggering signaling pathways that decrease hormone synthesis or secretion. The result is modulation of downstream effects, such as growth, reproduction, metabolism, and lactation. The balance between releasing and inhibiting signals, together with target-organ feedback, maintains endocrine homeostasis.

Clinically, mimetics or blockers of inhibitinghormonen are used to treat hormone-related disorders. For example, somatostatin analogs reduce excess growth hormone in acromegaly, and dopamine agonists are used to treat hyperprolactinemia. Inhibitinghormonen thus have both physiological significance and therapeutic applications.