Pancreas, vitamin

In the treatment of diseases where the metaboUtes are not being deUvered to the system, synthetic metaboUtes or active analogues have been successfully adrninistered. Vitamin metaboUtes have been successfully used for treatment of milk fever ia catde, turkey leg weakness, plaque psoriasis, and osteoporosis and renal osteodystrophy ia humans. Many of these clinical studies are outlined ia References 6, 16, 40, 51, and 141. The vitamin D receptor complex is a member of the gene superfamily of transcriptional activators, and 1,25 dihydroxy vitamin D is thus supportive of selective cell differentiation. In addition to mineral homeostasis mediated ia the iatestiae, kidney, and bone, the metaboUte acts on the immune system, P-ceUs of the pancreas (iasulin secretion), cerebellum, and hypothalamus. 

As patients lose exocrine function of the pancreas, they have decreased ability to absorb lipids and protein ingested with normal dietary intake. Weight loss from nutritional malabsorption is a common symptom of chronic pancreatitis not often seen in acute pancreatitis. Fatty- or protein-containing stools are also common carbohydrate absorption is usually unaffected. Even though patients with chronic pancreatitis have decreased ability to absorb lipid from the gastrointestinal tract, there does not appear to be an increased incidence of fat-soluble vitamin deficiency in these patients.34... 

Vitamin 8 2 deficiency Vitamin B-12 deficiency due to malabsorption syndrome as seen in pernicious anemia Gl pathology, dysfunction or surgery fish tapeworm infestation malignancy of pancreas or bowel gluten enteropathy sprue small bowel bacterial overgrowth total or partial gastrectomy accompanying folic acid deficiency. Increased vitamin B-12 requirements Increased vitamin B-12 requirements associated... 

Parenteral Anticoagulant-induced prothrombin deficiency hypoprothrombinemia secondary to conditions limiting absorption or synthesis of vitamin K (eg, obstructive jaundice, biliary fistula, sprue, ulcerative colitis, celiac disease, intestinal resection, cystic fibrosis of the pancreas, regional enteritis) drug-induced hypoprothrombinemias due to interference with vitamin K metabolism (eg, antibiotics, salicylates) prophylaxis and therapy of hemorrhagic disease of the newborn. 

Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency is most commonly caused by cystic fibrosis, chronic pancreatitis, or pancreatic resection. When secretion of pancreatic enzymes falls below 10% of normal, fat and protein digestion is impaired and can lead to steatorrhea, azotorrhea, vitamin malabsorption, and weight loss. Pancreatic enzyme supplements, which contain a mixture of amylase, lipase, and proteases, are the mainstay of treatment for pancreatic enzyme insufficiency. Two major types of preparations in use are pancreatin and pancrelipase. Pancreatin is an alcohol-derived extract of hog pancreas with relatively low concentrations of lipase and proteolytic enzymes, whereas pancrelipase is an enriched preparation. On a per-weight basis, pancrelipase has approximately 12 times the lipolytic activity and more than 4 times the proteolytic activity of pancreatin. Consequently, pancreatin is no longer in common clinical use. Only pancrelipase is discussed here. 

Ascorbate can also serve as a signal. In cultured cells, which are usually deficient in vitamin C, addition of ascorbate causes an enhanced response to added iron, inducing synthesis of the iron storage protein ferritin.11 Ascorbate indirectly stimulates transcription of procollagen genes 1 and decreases secretion of insulin by the pancreas.)) However, since its concentration in blood is quite constant this effect is not likely to cause a problem for a person taking an excess of vitamin C. 

Based on the studies that indicated the relationship between a decrease in vitamin C concentration and morphological changes within the pancreas, it was suggested that assaying the level of vitamin C can constitute a useful indicator of pancreatic necrosis. 

Endogenous protein-bound biotin (water-soluble B vitamin). High amounts of biotin are found in adrenal, liver, and kidney. Lesser amounts are found in the Gl tract, lung, spleen, pancreas, brain, mammary gland, adipose tissue, lymphoid tissue, and cells grown in culture media containing biotin as a nutrient. Use a biotin block or chose another non-biotin based staining system. 115-121... 

The nuclear vitamin D receptor was originally studied in intestinal mucosa, hut has subsequently been found in a variety of other tissues that have therefore been shown to be vitamin D-responsive, including kidneys, bone, parathyroid gland, -islet cells of the pancreas, pituitary, placenta, uterus, mammary glands, skin, thymus, monocytes, macrophages, and activated T lymphocytes. Like other steroid hormone receptors, it is a zinc finger protein it has the same high affinity (of the order of 10 " M) for both calcitriol and ercalcitriol. 

Endocrine Glands Calcium is known to be important in the secretion of insulin in vitamin D deficiency, there is impairment of secretion. Calbindin-D28k in the -islet cells of the pancreas is believed to be calcitriol dependent, unlike similar calcium binding proteins in other pancreatic cells that are constitutive proteins and independent of calcitriol. 

Thompson JN and Scott ML (1970) Impaired lipid and vitamin E absorption related to atrophy of the pancreas in selenium-deficient chicks. Journal of Nutrition 100, 797-809. 

Gueant JL, Champigneulle B, Gaucher B and Nicolas JP (1990) Malabsorption of vitamin Bi2 in pancreatic insufficiency of the adult and of the child. Pancreas 5,559-67. 

Homocysteine is metabolized in the liver, kidney, small intestine and pancreas also by the transsulfuration pathway [1,3,89]. It is condensed with serine to form cystathione in an irreversible reaction catalyzed by a vitamin B6-dependent enzyme, cystathionine-synthase. Cystathione is hydrolyzed to cysteine that can be incorporated into glutathione or further metabolized to sulfate and taurine [1,3,89]. The transsulfuration pathway enzymes are pyridoxal-5-phosphate dependent [3,91]. This co-enzyme is the active form of pyridoxine. So, either folates, cobalamin, and pyridoxine are essential to keep normal homocysteine metabolism. The former two are coenzymes for the methylation pathway, the last one is coenzyme for the transsulfuration pathway [ 1,3,89,91 ]. 

Waele BD, Smitz J, Willems G. Recurrent pancreatitis secondary to hypercalcemia following vitamin D poisoning. Pancreas 1989 4(3) 378-80. 

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