Neuroendocrinology Glossary
100 terms total — 24 showing — Last updated 15 Sep 2026
multiple endocrine neoplasia
Hereditary syndromes characterized by tumors affecting multiple endocrine glands simultaneously.
paraventricular nucleus
Hypothalamic region that produces oxytocin, vasopressin, and corticotropin-releasing hormone.
parvocellular neurons
Small hypothalamic neurons that secrete releasing and inhibiting hormones into the hypothalamic-hypophyseal portal syste...
peptide hormone processing
Post-translational modification of prohormones into bioactive peptide hormones through enzymatic cleavage and chemical m...
peptide receptor radionuclide therapy
Targeted radiotherapy using radiolabeled somatostatin analogs for treating somatostatin receptor-positive neuroendocrine...
peptide YY
An intestinal hormone that reduces appetite and gastric motility, often dysregulated in neuroendocrine disorders.
pheochromocytoma
Catecholamine-secreting tumor arising from chromaffin cells in the adrenal medulla.
pro-opiomelanocortin
A prohormone that yields multiple bioactive peptides including ACTH, β-endorphin, and melanocortin peptides.
prohormone convertase
An enzyme that cleaves prohormones into their active peptide forms within neuroendocrine cells.
proopiomelanocortin
A large precursor polypeptide that undergoes post-translational processing to yield multiple bioactive peptides includin...
regulatory peptide
Bioactive peptide molecules that modulate physiological processes through specific receptor interactions in neuroendocri...
releasing hormone
Hypothalamic peptide hormones that stimulate the release of specific hormones from the anterior pituitary.
SIADH
Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion causing hyponatremia.
somatostatin
Inhibitory peptide hormone that suppresses growth hormone release and has widespread regulatory effects throughout the b...
somatostatin receptor expression
Presence and density of somatostatin receptors on neuroendocrine tumor cells, determining treatment eligibility and imag...
somatostatin receptor scintigraphy
A nuclear medicine imaging technique using radiolabeled somatostatin analogs to detect neuroendocrine tumors.
stress-induced hyperprolactinemia
Elevated prolactin levels resulting from psychological or physiological stress that activates hypothalamic-pituitary pat...
suprachiasmatic nucleus
Master circadian pacemaker located in the hypothalamus that regulates biological rhythms.
supraoptic nucleus
Hypothalamic nucleus containing magnocellular neurons that produce oxytocin and vasopressin for posterior pituitary rele...
synaptophysin
A synaptic vesicle glycoprotein used as an immunohistochemical marker for neuroendocrine differentiation.
synaptophysin staining
Immunohistochemical marker used to identify neuroendocrine cells and confirm neuroendocrine tumor diagnosis.
tanycyte
Specialized ependymal cells in the hypothalamus that regulate hormone transport between cerebrospinal fluid and brain pa...
thyrotropin-releasing hormone
Hypothalamic tripeptide hormone that stimulates thyroid-stimulating hormone release from the anterior pituitary.
tuberoinfundibular pathway
A dopaminergic neural pathway connecting the hypothalamus to the pituitary gland, primarily involved in prolactin regula...
vasopressin
Antidiuretic hormone that regulates water retention and blood pressure in the body.