Anterior Pituitary
The front lobe of the pituitary gland (adenohypophysis) that produces growth hormone, LH, FSH, ACTH, TSH, and prolactin in response to hypothalamic releasing hormones. It is the direct target of GHRH analogues, somatostatin analogues, and GnRH compounds.
Technical Context
The anterior pituitary (adenohypophysis) develops embryologically from Rathke's pouch (oral ectoderm) and produces six major hormones: GH (from somatotrophs, stimulated by GHRH, inhibited by somatostatin), LH and FSH (from gonadotrophs, stimulated by pulsatile GnRH), ACTH (from corticotrophs, stimulated by CRH), TSH (from thyrotrophs, stimulated by TRH), and prolactin (from lactotrophs, tonically inhibited by dopamine). Each hormone's secretion is regulated by hypothalamic releasing/inhibiting hormones and peripheral feedback. Peptide therapeutics target multiple anterior pituitary axes: GHRH analogues act on somatotrophs, somatostatin analogues inhibit multiple cell types, and GnRH compounds modulate gonadotrophs.