BSH

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BSH

Abbreviation for:
benign sexual headache
British Society for Haematology (Medspeak-UK)

hormone

(hor'mon?) [Gr. horman, to excite, urge on]

1. A substance originating in an organ, gland, or body part, conveyed through the blood to another body part, and chemically stimulating that part to increase or decrease functional activity or to increase or decrease secretion of another hormone.

2. The secretion of the ductless glands, e.g., insulin from the pancreas. See: endocrine glandhormonal (hor-mon'al), adjective

adrenocortical hormone

Abbreviation: ACH

A hormone (such as aldosterone or cortisol) secreted by the cortex of the adrenal gland.

Synonym: cortical hormone See: adrenal gland

adrenocorticotropic hormone

Abbreviation: ACTH

A hormone that is secreted by the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland and controls the development and functioning of the adrenal cortex, including its secretion of glucocorticoids and androgens.

Synonym: corticotropin

adrenomedullary hormone

Any of several hormones (such as epinephrine and norepinephrine) produced by the adrenal medulla.

androgenic hormone

Androgen.

anterior pituitary hormone

Any of several hormones secreted by the anterior lobe of the pituitary, including corticotropin, follicle-stimulating hormone, gonadotropin, growth hormone, luteinizing hormone, melanocyte-stimulating hormone, prolactin, and thyrotropin.

antidiuretic hormone

Abbreviation: ADH

A peptide hormone that plays a crucial role in limiting the amount of water excreted by the kidneys. Deficiency of ADH causes central diabetes insipidus, excess causes water retention and hyponatremia. Synonym: vasopressin

ADH is produced by the hypothalamus and stored in the posterior pituitary gland; it is secreted when the osmolarity of plasma rises. Secretion of ADH increases the concentration of the urine by preventing water losses from the renal tubules. ADH also causes constriction of arterioles (raising blood pressure) and increases levels of clotting factor VIII. ADH can be administered to patients in cardiac arrest as an alternative to epinephrine.

atrial natriuretic hormone

Atrial natriuretic factor.

bioidentical natural hormone

Bioidentical synthetic hormone.

bioidentical synthetic hormone

Abbreviation: BSH

A compound extracted from plants or formulated in the laboratory and used to replace or increase concentrations of hormones found in the body. The most commonly manufactured and marketed BSHs are the sex steroid hormones (estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone).

Synonym: bioidentical natural hormone

calcitonin hormone

Calcitonin.

corpus luteum hormone

Progesterone.

cortical hormone

Adrenocortical hormone.

corticotropin-releasing hormone

Abbreviation: CRH

A hormone that is released from the hypothalamus and acts on the anterior pituitary to increase secretion of adrenal corticotropin hormone. In response to stress, CRH causes hyperglycemia, increased oxygen consumption, increased cardiac output, and decreased sexual activity; suppresses release of growth hormone; diminishes gastrointestinal function; stimulates respiration; and causes behavioral changes.

Synonym: corticotropin-releasing factor

counterregulatory hormone

Any of the hormones that oppose the effects of insulin. They include glucagon, epinephrine, norepinephrine, cortisol, and growth hormone.

digestive hormone

Any of a group of hormones produced by the stomach or small intestinal mucosa and stimulating various tissues to release enzymes, produce fluids, or affect gastrointestinal motility. They include gastrin, motilin, secretin, cholecystokinin, and vasoactive intestinal peptide.

estrogenic hormone

Estrogen.

follicle-stimulating hormone

Abbreviation: FSH

A hormone that is secreted by the anterior lobe of the pituitary and stimulates maturation of the ovarian follicles in women. In men, the hormone is important in maintaining spermatogenesis.

follicle-stimulating hormone releasing hormone

Abbreviation: FSH-RH

A hormone from the hypothalamus that regulates release of follicle-stimulating hormone.

gastric hormone

Gastrin.

gonadotropic hormone

, gonadotrophic hormoneGonadotropin.

gonadotropin-releasing hormone

Abbreviation: Gn-RH

The hormone produced in the hypothalamus that causes the pituitary to release luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone. This hormone is used in treating endometriosis.

Synonym: luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone

growth hormone

Abbreviation: GH

A hormone secreted by the anterior pituitary and regulating the cell division and protein synthesis necessary for normal growth. It is a protein made from a single chain of amino acids; molecular weight 22 kDa. Synonym: somatotropin

growth hormone-releasing hormone

Abbreviation: GH-RH

A hormone from the hypothalamus that stimulates the release of growth hormone.

Synonym: somatotropin-releasing hormone

human growth hormone

Abbreviation: HGH
See: growth hormone

human placental lactogen hormone

See: human placental lactogen

immunoregulatory hormone

A hormone that influences components of the immune system, including the number and activity of the white blood cells. Such hormones are secreted by almost all of the glands in the body, particularly the hypothalamus and adrenal glands.

inhibitory hormone

Any of a group of substances limiting the release of hormones from the pituitary. Somatostatin, which inhibits the release of growth hormone, is included in this group.

interstitial cell-stimulating hormone

Abbreviation: ICSH

An obsolete term for luteinizing hormone.

intestinal hormone

Any of several hormones produced by the mucosa of the intestine. They include cholecystokinin, motilin, secretin, and vasoactive inhibitory peptide.

lipolytic hormone

Any hormone (such as epinephrine, glucagon, and cortisol) that promotes release of free fatty acids from fat tissue.

luteal hormone

Progesterone.

luteinizing hormone

Abbreviation: LH

A hormone produced by the anterior lobe of the pituitary, in females stimulating the development of the corpus luteum and helping in the secretion of progesterone, and in males stimulating the development of interstitial cells of the testes to produce testosterone.

Synonym: luteotropic hormone

luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone

Abbreviation: LH-RH
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone.

luteotropic hormone

Abbreviation: LTH
Luteinizing hormone.

melanocyte-stimulating hormone

Abbreviation: MSH

A hormone of the anterior pituitary gland that causes pigmentation of the skin in humans.

Synonym: intermedin

ovarian hormone

A hormone produced by the ovary.

See: estradiol; estriol; estrogen; estrone; progesterone

pancreatic hormone

A hormone produced by the islets of Langerhans of the pancreas.

See: glucagon; insulin

parathyroid hormone

Abbreviation: PTH

A hormone secreted by the parathyroid glands that regulates blood levels of calcium and phosphorus. A deficiency results in hypoparathyroidism and hypocalcemia; in excess, it causes hyperparathyroidism and hypercalcemia.

Synonym: parathormone

placental hormone

Any of the hormones secreted by the placenta, including estrogen, progesterone, and human chorionic gonadotropin.

posterior pituitary hormone

Any of the hormones secreted by the posterior lobe of the pituitary (such as vasopressin and oxytocin).

See: antidiuretic hormone

progestational hormone

Progesterone.

releasing hormone

Abbreviation: RH

Any of a group of substances secreted by the hypothalamus that control or inhibit the release of various hormones. They include thyrotropin-releasing hormone, gonadotropin-releasing hormone, dopamine, growth hormone-releasing hormone, corticotropin-releasing hormone, and somatostatin. Dopamine and somatostatin act to inhibit release of the hormones they act upon.

sex hormone

An androgen or an estrogen.

somatotropic hormone

Abbreviation: STH
Somatotropin.

somatotropin-releasing hormone

Growth hormone-releasing hormone.

steroid hormone

One of the sex hormones and hormones of the adrenal cortex.

synthetic human growth hormone

A growth hormone made with recombinant DNA techniques.

testicular hormone

A hormone produced by the interstitial tissue of the testis (such as testosterone and inhibin).

thymic hormone

Any of the hormones produced by the thymus that may help attract lymphoid stem cells to the thymus and stimulate their development into mature T lymphocytes. They include thymulin, thymopoietin, and thymosin.

thyroid hormone

Either of two hormones, thyroxine (T₄) or triiodothyronine (T₃, secreted by the follicles of the thyroid gland. They act on receptors in tissues throughout the body to increase the production of cellular proteins, the metabolic rate, and the activities of the sympathetic nervous system. Deficiency of thyroid hormone produces clinical hypothyroidism; excess causes hyperthyroidism.

thyroid-stimulating hormone

Abbreviation: TSH
Thyrotropin.

thyrotropic hormone

Thyrotropin.

thyrotropin-releasing hormone

Abbreviation: TRH

A hormone secreted by the hypothalamus that stimulates the anterior pituitary to release thyrotropin. It was formerly called thyroid-stimulating hormone-releasing factor.

tropic hormone

A hormone secreted by one gland (e.g. the pituitary gland) that stimulates another gland to secrete its hormone or hormones.

bioidentical synthetic hormone

Abbreviation: BSH

Synonym: bioidentical natural hormone