Pancreas, hormones

Control of secretion of anterior pituitary hormones also includes inhibition by hormones produced by target organs. For example, CRH stimulates the anterior pituitary to secrete ACTH, which in turn stimulates the adrenal cortex to secrete corticosteroids. Corticosteroids then feed back to inhibit the secretion of ACTH. Feedback mechanisms are important for the control of most hormones. For example, insulin (qv) secretion from the pancreas increases in response to increased blood glucose resulting from ingestion of a meal. Insulin increases tissue uptake and metaboHsm of glucose, which lowers blood glucose and in turn reduces insulin secretion. 

Insulin is a peptide hormone, secreted by the pancreas, that regulates glucose metabolism in the body. Insufficient production of insulin or failure of insulin to stimulate target sites in liver, muscle, and adipose tissue leads to the serious metabolic disorder known as diabetes mellitus. Diabetes afflicts millions of people worldwide. Diabetic individuals typically exhibit high levels of glucose in the blood, but insulin injection therapy allows diabetic individuals to maintain normal levels of blood glucose. 

The primary hormone responsible for conversion of glucose to glycogen is insulin (Figure 6.36). Insulin is secreted by special cells in the pancreas called the islets of Langerhans. Secretion of insulin is a response to increased glucose in the... 

Incretin Hormones. Figure 3 Processing of the proglucagon. The proglucagon peptide is synthesized in pancreatic cells and cells from the gastrointestinal (Gl) tract and the brain. Different proconvertases process the peptide so that in the pancreas the glucagon is produced whereas in the Gl tract and the brain, the GLP-1 and GLP-2 peptides are mainly released. 

Zollinger-Ellison syndrome (ZES) is characterized by the development of a tumor (gastrinoma) or tumors that secrete excessive levels of gastrin, a hormone that stimulates production of acid by the stomach. In most cases, the tumor or tumors arise within the pancreas and/or the upper region of the small intestine (duodenum). 

Insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, acts to maintain blood glucose levels within normal limits (60-120 mg/dL). This is accomplished by die release of small amounts of insulin into die bloodstream tiirough-out the day in response to changes in blood glucose levels. Insulin is essential for die utilization of glucose in cellular metabolism and for die proper metabolism of protein and fat. 

Insulin is a hormone manufactured by the beta cells of the pancreas. It is the principal hormone required for the proper use of glucose (carbohydrate) by the body. Insulin also controls the storage and utilization of amino acids and fatty acids. Insulin lowers blood glucose levels by inhibiting glucose production by the liver. 

In addition to the direct effects of hyperglycemia in enhancing the uptake of glucose into the liver, the hormone insulin plays a central role in regulating blood glucose. It is produced by the B cells of the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas in response to hyperglycemia. The B islet cells are freely permeable to glu-... 

The human pancreas secretes about 40—50 units of insulin daily, which represents about 15—20% of the hormone stored in the B cells. Insidin and the C-peptide (see Figure 42—12) are normally secreted in equimolar amounts. Stimuh such as glucose, which provokes insidin secretion, therefore trigger the processing of proinsidin to insidin as an essential part of the secretory response. 

As with gastric secretion, nervous stimulation and hormones regulate secretion from the pancreas. During the cephalic phase and gastric phase, the pancreas secretes a low-volume, enzyme-rich fluid mediated by the vagus nerve. 

Most pancreatic secretion takes place during the intestinal phase. The intestinal hormone secretin stimulates release of a large volume of pancreatic juice with a high concentration of bicarbonate ion. Secretin is released in response to acidic chyme in the duodenum (maximal release at pH < 3.0). The intestinal hormone cholecystokinin is released in response to the presence of the products of protein and lipid digestion. Cholecystokinin then stimulates the release of digestive enzymes from the pancreas. 

Human amylin, or islet amyloid polypeptide (hlAPP), is a 37-residue peptide hormone which forms both intracellular and extracellular (EC) amyloid deposits in the pancreas of most type II diabetic subjects. The core of the structure in the SDS micelle is an ot-helix that runs from about residues 5-28. Although the basic structural unit in the fibrils in... 

Fischer, brilliant results were achieved, and in succession the a-amylases of pig pancreas, of Bacillus subtilis, of human saliva, of human pancreas, and of Aspergillus oryzae, and the /3-amylase of malt, were successfully crystallized. Important biological deductions were gained from this study whereas the amylases of human pancreas and saliva cannot be distinguished from one another, amylases from pig pancreas and from human pancreas are different. These differences are manifested in molecular weight, crystalline forms, electrophoretic mobility, and influence of the pH on the activity however, all the amylases have the same specific biochemical action. The identity of the enzymes seems to be dependent on the species and not on the organ. Interest in biologically active proteins led Meyer to a study of the protein hormones, a field in which he was very active at the time of his death. 

Secchi, A., Di Carlo, V., and Pozza, G. 1997. Pancreas and islet transplantation - current progress, problems and perspectives. Hormone and Metabolic Research 29(1), 1-8. 

Insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, is essential for the metabolism of glucose, proteins, and fats. Insulins are classified on the basis of the duration of action as rapid-, intermediate-, or long-acting and on the basis of source or species, such as human or animal (beef, pork, and mixtures of beef and pork). Table 10.1 summarizes insulin preparations currendy available in the United States. 

Iason, A.H. (1946). The Thyroid Gland in Medical History. Froben Press, New York. Jensen, H. (1948). The Internal secretion of the pancreas In The Hormones (Pincus, G. 

Insulin is produced in the pancreas by j8 cells in the region called the islets of Langerhans. It is a polypeptide hormone consisting of two chains an A chain... 

Krenacs, T., DobU, E., and Laszik, Z. (1990) Characteristics of endocrine pancreas in chronic pancreatitis as revealed by simnltaneons immnnocytochemical demonstration of hormone prodnction. J. Histotechnol. 13, 213-218. 

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