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How does growth hormone-releasing hormone stimulate the anterior pituitary gland?

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Hormone Many important physiological functions of vertebrates are controlled by steroid hormones.

Growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) stimulates the anterior pituitary gland by acting on specialized cells known as somatotrophs, which are responsible for the synthesis and secretion of growth hormone.1

Biochemically, this process is regulated through the hypothalamus. GHRH is produced by neurons in the hypothalamus and is released into the hypophyseal-portal veins. These veins serve as a direct vascular pathway, transporting the hormone a short distance to the microvasculature of the pituitary gland, where it binds to and stimulates the somatotrophs to release growth hormone.21

This stimulatory effect is part of a complex regulatory system. While GHRH promotes secretion, the process is also influenced by other factors, such as ghrelin, which acts synergistically with GHRH, and somatostatin, which acts as a potent inhibitor of growth hormone secretion.312