Which hormone stimulates the release of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)?

The hormone that stimulates the release of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) is thyrotropin-releasing hormone (often referred to as thyroid-releasing hormone). This hormone is produced in the hypothalamus and acts on the anterior pituitary gland to promote the synthesis and release of TSH.

TSH, in turn, plays a crucial role in regulating the function of the thyroid gland, which produces thyroid hormones involved in metabolism, growth, and development. The relationship between thyrotropin-releasing hormone and TSH is a key part of the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis, which is essential for maintaining normal levels of thyroid hormones in the body.

The other choices do not directly stimulate the release of TSH. Corticotropin-releasing hormone is related to the release of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) from the anterior pituitary, gonadotropin-releasing hormone stimulates the release of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and insulin is primarily involved in glucose metabolism and does not influence TSH release.