Use
The thyrotropic hormone, also called thyrotropin and thyroidstimulatinghormone (TSH), is a glycoprotein consisting oftwo polypeptide chains. This hormone promotes productionof thyroid hormones by affecting the kinetics of the mechanismby which the thyroid concentrates iodide ions from thebloodstream, thereby promoting incorporation of the halogeninto the thyroid hormones and release of hormones by thethyroid.
After exogenousadministration, it is widely distributed and disappears veryrapidly from circulation. Some evidence suggests that thethyroid may directly inactivate some of the TSH by an oxidationmechanism that may involve iodine. TSH thus inactivatedcan be reactivated by certain reducing agents.TSH regulates the production by the thyroid gland of thyroxine,which stimulates the metabolic rate. Thyroxine feedback mechanisms regulate the production of TSH bythe pituitary gland.