Multiple Organ Failure as an Endocrine-Mediated Response to Chronic Stress via the HypothalamoPituitary Adrenal (HPA) axis
Homeostasis is the coordinated system of physiological and biochemical processes which regulate and maintain most of the steady states in the organism, attempting to keep the internal conditions relatively constant, for example: pH, internal temperature, etc; in a state of equilibrium. This concept is essential to the understanding of stress.
In everyday life, there are numerous factors that recurrently disrupt homeostasis, such as, environmental factors or internal and external stimuli. This coordinated system then works to keep the organism in an incessant flux around particular variables that could be considered optimal conditions for it to live and survive. Any deviation relatively far from the optimal equilibrium can be perceived as Stress. The organism’s response to stress involves a number of processes which strive to restore normal body conditions.
As per the particular event, response to stress is by Sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activation. This state cannot be maintained for extended periods of time as it could be detrimental to the physical and mental health of the organism. The Parasympathetic system seeks to returns the conditions to the more optimal range. This restoration consumes a lot of energy and resources, putting a lot of strain on the body, but seeks to focus it to repress the immediate problem; the Fight-or-Flight Response. One such process to overcome chronic stress is multiple organ failure caused by the organism's own system.
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HypothalamoPituatary Adrenal Axis
Endocrine Response to Stress
Multiple Organ Failure
Conclusion
References
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Singer, M., De Santis, V., Vitale, D., & Jeffcoate, W. (2004). Multiorgan failure is an adaptive, endocrine-mediated, metabolic response to overwhelming systemic inflammation. Lancet, 7-13.