Hypothalamic-Pituitary Axis
| Pituitary Hormone |
Hypothalamic Releasing/Inhibiting Factors |
Target Organ |
Effect |
| Growth hormone (GH) |
- Stimulated by growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH)
- Inhibited by somatostatin (also called growth hormone–inhibiting hormone (GHIH))
|
Liver, bone, muscles |
Direct effect (regulates growth and metabolic rate) |
| Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) |
- Stimulated by corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)
|
Adrenal gland |
Stimulates release of cortisol |
| Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinising hormone (LH) |
- Stimulated by gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)
|
Gonads |
Stimulates release of testosterone/oestrogen and production of eggs/sperm |
| Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) |
- Stimulated by thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH)
|
Thyroid gland |
Stimulates release of thyroid hormones (T4/T3) |
| Prolactin |
- Weakly stimulated by TRH, oxytocin and ADH
- Inhibited by dopamine (also called prolactin-inhibiting hormone (PIH))
|
Mammary glands |
Direct effect (stimulates lactation) |
| Antidiuretic hormone (ADH) |
|
Kidneys |
Direct effect (regulates water balance) |
| Oxytocin |
|
Female reproductive system |
Direct effect (stimulates milk ejection in suckling and uterine contractions in childbirth) |

Hypothalamus-Pituitary Axis. (Image by OpenStax College [CC BY 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons)