Regulation of Thyroid Hormone Release

Thyroid hormone production is controlled by the hypothalamic-pituitary system (see Chapter 28). Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) from the hypothalamus stimulates the release of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) from the anterior pituitary.17,63 TSH then travels via the systemic circulation to the thyroid gland to stimulate the production of thyroxine and triiodothyronine. 

Thyroid hormone release is subject to the negative feedback strategy that is typical of endocrine systems controlled by the hypothalamic-pituitary axis. Increased circulating levels of the thyroid hormones (T4, T3) serve to limit their own production by inhibiting TRH release from the hypothalamus and TSH release from the anterior pituitary.30,35 This negative feedback control prevents peripheral levels of thyroid hormones from becoming excessively high. 

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