Endocrine Pancreas (Rogers) Flashcards
1
Q
- major anabolic hormone
- secreted in response to carb and/or protein intake
- glucose is the major stimulatory factor for this hormone’s secretion
A
insulin
2
Q
- condition caused by “insulin resistance”
- 95% of diabetes cases, 8.2% of US adults in 2018
- increasing numbers of children w/ disease
- $300+ billion in health care costs
A
type 2 diabetes mellitus
3
Q
What hormones does the endocrine pancreas cells secrete and what is the function of these hormones?
A
- secrete insulin, glucagon, somatostatin
- large role in regulating lipid, carb, and AA metabolism
4
Q
What is the cell organization of the endocrine pancreas?
A
- cell arranged in clusters: islets of Langerhans
- 1-2% of pancreatic mass
- 2500 cells/islet
- innervated by adrenergic, cholinergic, and peptidergic neurons
5
Q
- cell type in endocrine pancreas
- 60-65% of islet, centrally located
- secrete insulin and C peptide
A
β cells
6
Q
- cell type of endocrine pancreas
- 20% of islet, peripherally located
- secrete glucagon
A
α cells
7
Q
- cell type of endocrine pancreas
- 5% of islet, interspersed between alpha and beta cells
- secrete somatostatin
- neuronal in appearance and send “dendrite-like” processes to beta cells
A
δ cells
8
Q
- cell type of endocrine pancreas
- secrete pancreatic polypeptide
- acts like a satiety signal (neuropeptide Y, peptide YY family)
A
F cells
9
Q
How do cells within pancreatic islets communicate w/ one another?
A
- ion concentration changes signal
- gap junctions: rapid cell to cell communication between alpha-alpha, beta-beta, and alpha-beta
10
Q
What is the blood supply to pancreatic islets cells?
A
- islets receive 10% of pancreatic blood flow
- venous blood from beta-cells carries insulin to alpha and delta-cells
- blood flow is first to center (for insulin)
- flows through periphery (on alpha-cells insulin inhibits glucagon release)
11
Q
What are the precursor molecules to insulin?
A
- peptide hormone: 2 chains linked by disulfide bridges
- preproinsulin > proinsulin > insulin and C peptide
- preproinsulin: signal peptide w/ A and B chains w/ connecting peptide (C peptide), no disulfide bonds
- proinsulin: no signal peptide, C peptide still attached to insulin, packaged into secretory granules, proteases here cleave proinsulin
- C peptide: secreted in equimolar quantities into blood and can be used as marker of endogenous insulin secretion
12
Q
What are the 8 steps of insulin release?
A
- glucose enters β-cell via GLUT-2 transporter
- glucose is phosphorylated to glucose-6-phosphate by glucokinase
- glucose-6-phosphate is oxidized, promoting ATP generation
- ATP closes the ‘inward-rectifying’ K+ channel
- plasma membrane is depolarized
- activation of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels
- Ca2+ enters the cell and levels increase
- this initiates mobilization of insulin (and C peptide) containing vesicles to plasma membrane for exocytosis
13
Q
What are key concepts to remember regarding insulin release?
A
- rises in ATP closes K+ channels (ATP-dependent K+ channels)
- sulfonylurea receptor, a/w ATP-dependent K+ channels, increases insulin secretion: causes membrane depolarization to occur more easily, more Ca2+ entry, used for tx of TIIDM
- C peptide secretion used as tool to measure function of β-cells and endogenous insulin secretion
14
Q
What phase pattern does insulin release follow?
A
- insulin release is biphasic
- initial insulin spike is within minutes (of eating)
- further increase occurs 0.5-1 hr later
- first phase of insulin secretion is lost first in TIIDM
15
Q
What are the intracellular steps of insulin signaling?
A
- insulin binds to receptor
- substrate proteins phosphorylate and activate/inactivate downstream pathways: PI3K/Akt/mTOR and MAP kinases (these mediate metabolic/mitogenic responses)
- translocation of vesicles containing GLUT4 to membrane (muscle and adipose): glucose enters via facilitated diffusion
16
Q
Where does insulin resistance occur specifically in the body?
A
- occurs at peripheral tissues: adipose tissue and skeletal muscle, also liver but this works differently
- occurs very early in disease progression