Counterregulatory hormone

A counterregulatory hormone is a hormone that opposes the action of another.

The action of insulin is counterregulated by glucagon, adrenaline (epinephrine), noradrenaline (norepinephrine), 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, ketosis, 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. Persistent elevation of a counterregulatory hormone can reduce a person's sensitivity to insulin.

Similarly, the natriuretic peptides counterregulate against renin, angiotensin, and aldosterone which elevate blood pressure.^[1]

In the reproductive system, inhibins and follistatin counterregulate activins, to control follicle-stimulating hormone and so the release of gonads.^[2] Inhibins and activins also regulate bone mass.^[3]

References

1. ^ 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. PMID 9588425. ^{[verification needed]}
2. ^ Hurwitz JM, Santoro N (2004 Aug). "Inhibins, activins, and follistatin in the aging female and male". Semin Reprod Med. 22 (3): 209–17. PMID 15319823. ^{[verification needed]}
3. ^ 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. PMC 2951729. PMID 19615428. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=2951729. 

Further reading

• Watts AG, Donovan CM (2010 Jan). "Sweet talk in the brain: glucosensing, neural networks, and hypoglycemic counterregulation". Front Neuroendocrinol. 31 (1): 32–43. PMC 2813965. PMID 19836412. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=2813965. 
• Marty N, Dallaporta M, Thorens B (2007 Aug). "Brain glucose sensing, counterregulation, and energy homeostasis.". Physiology (Bethesda) 22 (4): 241–51. doi:10.​1152/​physiol.​00010.​2007. PMID 17699877. 
• Gildea JJ (2009 Jan). "Dopamine and angiotensin as renal counterregulatory systems controlling sodium balance.". Curr Opin Nephrol Hypertens. 18 (1): 28–32. doi:10.1097/MNH.0b013e32831a9e0b. PMC 2847451. PMID 19077686. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=2847451. 
• Ferrario CM, Varagic J (2010 Jun). Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. 298 (6): F1297-305. PMC 2886811. PMID 20375118. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=2886811.