title: Reflections on the mode of functioning of endocrine systems.
abstract: The concept of hormones as chemical messengers that transmit information from one organ to other organs by way of circulating blood has implications that have not been made explicit. In this paper the concept is analyzed and is shown to be inconsistent with many observations. The previously proposed concepts of hormone multifunctionalities, hormonal multisignal messages, and the conversion of hormones into other hormones are shown to clarify conflicting observations as well as the congruous mode of functioning of endocrine systems with multifunctional hormones. A strategy is proposed for identifying the compositions and functions of the diverse multisignal messages conveyed by any hormone. The information so obtained could be useful for the development of more selective hormonal therapies.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Farmacología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, D.F., Mexico. mandokij@gmail.com
authors.forename: Juan José
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Mandoki
authors.forename: María Juana
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: García-Mondragón
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Casa-Tirao
authors.forename: Fausto Alejandro
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Jiménez-Orozco
mesh_terms: D004703:Endocrine System / Q000502:physiology*; D006728:Hormones / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D006728:Hormones