Digestive Secretions Flashcards
How is bile drained from the liver?
- Right hepatic duct and left hepatic duct which form common hepatic duct within liver
- Common hepatic duct leaves liver at liver hilum
- Joins cystic duct from gall bladder forming common bile duct
- Common bile duct join pancreas duct (within pancreas)
- Ampulla of vater –> end of common bile duct that enters into duodenum
Is the pancreas retro or intraperitoneal?
Retroperitoneal (apart from tail which is intra)
Where is bile produced?
Liver
Where is bile stored?
Gallbladder
How does bile and secretions from pancreas enter duodenum? Where does this duct enter the duodenum?
Via common duct
Enteres via Ampulla of Vater
What is the sphincter of Oddi?
Closes off common duct that allows bile and secretions from pancreas to enter duodenum
Allows secretions to enter and mix with food
What does the sphincter of Oddi relax in response to?
Relaxes in response to CCK-PZ
What are APUD cells?
Amine Precursor Uptake and Decarboxylation – neuroendocrine cells
What is gastrin produced by and where?
G cells
Stomach
What is effect of noradrenaline on ACh?
Inhibits release of ACh
What is cholecystokinin (CCK) secreted by?
I cells (duodenum)
What is secretin secreted by?
S cells (duodenum)
What is the main job of the pancreas?
Produce digestive enzymes
What are the 3 phases of pancreatic secretion?
- Cephalic
- Gastric
- Intestinal
What are pancreatic secretions of the cephalic phase under control of?
Autonomic control by vagus nerve though release of ACh
What can the pancreas be divided into?
- Exocrine gland (containing the acinar and duct tissue)
- Endocrine gland (containing the islets of Langerhans)
What is the majority of the pancreas made up of?
The exocrine portion (85% by mass)
What does the exocrine portion secrete?
Secretes digestive enzymes, water and bicarbonate to assist in digestion.
What is function of bicarbonate?
- Helps in neutralising the stomach acid. This is a vital part of digestion as the small intestine is not specialised to withstand the strong acids from the stomach
- The digestive enzymes secreted by the pancreas reach their optimum function at a basic pH
What are acinar cells?
Specialised in enzyme synthesis, storage and secretion
What is the duct system of the pancreas?
Modifies the aqueous secretions
What is the exocrine portion of the pancreas stimulated/inhibited by?
Stimulated by the parasympathetic system and inhibited by the sympathetic system
How are digestive enzymes produced in the pancreas?
The acinar cells produce digestive enzymes on the RER. They are then moved to the Golgi complex where they form condensing vacuoles. These condensing vacuoles are then concentrated into inactive zymogen granules in pancreatic acinar cells and stored for secretion
Where are digestive enzymes produced in the pancreas secreted into?
Into the main pancreatic duct, which merges with the bile duct at the head of the pancreas and forms the Ampulla of Vater
What enzymes are secreted by the pancreas?
- Proteases
- Pancreatic lipase
- Amylase
Other enzymes include ribonuclease, gelatinase, elastase etc.
What are the proteases secreted by the pancreas? What is their function?
Chymotrypsinogen and Trypsinogen
Digest proteins and peptides to single amino acids
What is the function of pancreatic lipase?
Digests triglycerides, monoglyceride and free fatty acids
What is the function of amylase?
Starch and maltose (disaccharides)
How is bicarbonate formed?
Water and carbon dioxide combine in a reaction catalysed by the enzyme carbonic anhydrase. The product formed is carbonic acid (H2CO3).
Carbonic acid then dissociates into hydrogen ions (H+) and bicarbonate ions (HCO3–)
H2CO3 -> H+ + HCO3–
How are H+ ions transported out of the pancreatic ductal cells into the blood?
In exchange for Na+ ions by an H+/Na+ antiporter. The Na+ ions that enter the cell are then removed by the Na+/H+/ATPase.
How is bicarbonate transported into the intercalated ducts of the pancreas?
In exchange for Cl-
How is an intracellular build up of Cl- avoided?
By a chloride channel which allows chloride ions to return to the lumen of the intercalated ducts.
What then moves through the intercalated ducts of the pancreas?
The bicarbonate ions, Na+ ions and water then move through the intercalated ducts and end up at the main pancreatic duct ready for secretion into the duodenum upon an appropriate stimulus.
How does vagal innervation affect the pancreas?
Stimulates the secretion of enzymes (stimulates acinar cells)
What is a cholinergic receptor?
Uses ACh as its neurotransmitter
Where is ACh synthesised?
In cholinergic neurones
What can ACh bind?
Either muscarinic or nicotinic receptors
What is CCK?
A peptide hormone
What is CCK produced by?
I cells from the SI
What is the pro enzyme of CCK?
Pro CCK
Describe chain of CCK
Consists of 33 amino acids (last 5 are identical to those of gastrin) (in all the CCK types)
What is the release of CCK mainly stimulated by?
Lipids and peptides in the small intestine
What are CCK-A receptors better for?
CCK
What are CCK-B receptors better for?
Gastrin
What are the 2 main effects of CCK?
- Stimulation of pancreatic secretion
2. Stimulation of gallbladder emptying
What is the predominant CCK receptor for GI functions?
CCK-A or CCK1 receptor
What is the predominant CCK receptor found in the brain?
CCK-B / CCK2 receptor
Found expressed in pancreatic islet cells. Identical to gastrin receptor.
How does positive feedback of CCK occur?
Acinar cells in the pancreas release ‘monitor peptide’ which binds to receptors on I cells to stimulate secretion of CCK
CCK-releasing factor (CCK-RF) is released from intestinal epithelial cells. In the absence of proteases such as Trypsin, they bind to CCK-A receptors on I-cells to stimulate CCK secretion.
How does negative feedback of CCK occur?
When trypsin released from pancreas it inactivates CCK-RF decreasing CCK secretion. However, when a protein load enters duodenum from stomach this competes for trypsin (to digest food) and CCK-RP can bind to receptors on I-cells.
Thus the protease concentration in the duodenum is intimately linked to pancreatic secretion through this negative feedback loop.
What is secretin?
Peptide hormone, consists of 27 amino acids
What is secretin secreted by?
S cells of the SI
What is the release of secretin mainly stimulated by?
Acid in the SI
What is the main effect of secretin?
Stimulate bicarbonate secretion by ductal cells in the pancreas and liver (to neutralise acid)
What is the effect of secretin on the pancreas?
Trophic effect (growth)