A counterregulatory hormone is a hormone that opposes the action of another.
Glucose Counterregulation
The action of insulin is counterregulated by glucagon, epinephrine (adrenaline), norepinephrine (noradrenaline), cortisol, and growth hormone. These counterregulatory hormones—the term is usually used in the plural—raise the level of glucose in the blood by promoting glycogenolysis, gluconeogenesis, ketogenesis, and other catabolic processes. In healthy people, counterregulatory hormones constitute a principal defense against hypoglycemia, and levels are expected to rise as the glucose falls.
As an example, the exercise-induced reduction in blood glucose is counterregulated by increases in levels of epinephrine, norepinephrine, cortisol, and growth hormone. The rise in blood concentrations of these counterregulatory hormones is dependent upon both exercise intensity and duration, and is proportional to the rate of glucose uptake by the contracting skeletal muscle.
Blood Pressure Counterregulation
Similarly, the natriuretic peptides counterregulate against renin, angiotensin, and aldosterone which elevate blood pressure.
Reproductive Counterregulation
In the reproductive system, inhibins and follistatin counterregulate activins, to control follicle-stimulating hormone and so the release of gonads. Inhibins and activins also regulate bone mass.
References
- Beall, C.; Ashford, M. L.; McCrimmon, R. J. (2011). "The physiology and pathophysiology of the neural control of the counterregulatory response". AJP: Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology. 302 (2): R215-23. doi:10.1152/ajpregu.00531.2011. PMID 22071156.
- Stein BC, Levin RI (May 1998). "Natriuretic peptides: Physiology, therapeutic potential, and risk stratification in ischemic heart disease". Am Heart J. 135 (5): 914–23. doi:10.1016/s0002-8703(98)70054-7. PMID 9588425.
- Hurwitz JM, Santoro N (August 2004). "Inhibins, activins, and follistatin in the aging female and male". Semin Reprod Med. 22 (3): 209–17. doi:10.1055/s-2004-831896. PMID 15319823.
- Nicks KM, Perrien DS, Akel NS, Suva LJ, Gaddy D (2009-10-30). "Regulation of osteoblastogenesis and osteoclastogenesis by the other reproductive hormones, Activin and Inhibin". Mol Cell Endocrinol. 310 (1–2): 11–20. doi:10.1016/j.mce.2009.07.001. PMC 2951729. PMID 19615428.
Further reading
- Watts AG, Donovan CM (January 2010). "Sweet talk in the brain: glucosensing, neural networks, and hypoglycemic counterregulation". Front Neuroendocrinol. 31 (1): 32–43. doi:10.1016/j.yfrne.2009.10.006. PMC 2813965. PMID 19836412.
- Marty N, Dallaporta M, Thorens B (August 2007). "Brain glucose sensing, counterregulation, and energy homeostasis". Physiology. 22 (4): 241–51. doi:10.1152/physiol.00010.2007. PMID 17699877.
- Gildea JJ (January 2009). "Dopamine and angiotensin as renal counterregulatory systems controlling sodium balance". Current Opinion in Nephrology and Hypertension. 18 (1): 28–32. doi:10.1097/MNH.0b013e32831a9e0b. PMC 2847451. PMID 19077686.
- Ferrario CM, Varagic J (June 2010). "The ANG-(1-7)/ACE2/mas axis in the regulation of nephron function". Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. 298 (6): F1297–305. doi:10.1152/ajprenal.00110.2010. PMC 2886811. PMID 20375118.