Exam 2: Hormones of GI Tract Flashcards
What is the largest and most complex endocrine organ in the body?
GI tract
What percentage of the cells that line the GI tract secrete hormones? What are there cells called?
1%; enteroendocrine cells
T/F. The GI tract is a sensory organ.
True
Through what mechanisms is the GI tract a sensory organ?
through both hormonal and neural mechanisms
What are the three ways the GI tract is a sensory organ through both hormonal and neural mechanisms?
- adjusts its own activity (increase or decrease peristalsis)
- alerts body to impending influx of nutrients
- informs brain of need to initiate/terminate feeding
How is the GI tract innervated?
- with afferent and efferent SNS and PSNS neurons
- ENS (enteric nervous system) = networks of intrinsic nerves
About how many neurons does the Enteric Nervous system (ENS) in the GI tract contain? What is this comparable to?
~ 100 x 10^6 neurons = number in spinal cord
What does the Enteric Nervous system do?
transmits info up and down length of GI tract
- sensory, motor, interneurons coordinate secretory, absorptive, and contractile activities
What other parts of the nervous system does the Enteric Nervous system communicate with?
ENS SNS PSNS ENS
bidirectional communication
What do the gut NTs include?
- catacholamines (NE, Epi)
- Ach
- peptides
What can the peptides from neurons and gut (enteroendocrine cells) act as?
- NT
- neurohormones or
- neuromodulates (NM)
What nerve provides PSNS innervation to esophagus, stomach, SI, and proximal colon?
Vagus nerve
What supplies PSNS innervation to the remainder of the colon and rectum?
pelvic nerves from sacral cord levels
How much of the vagus nerve is sensory? How much is motor?
3/4 sensory
1/4 motor
What are scattered throughout the stomach and SI that are associated with various vaso-vagal reflexes?
Mechano and chemoreceptors
Once the Vaso-vagal reflexes in the gut are stimulated, what is in response?
integrating centers in brainstem signal secreting or contractile responses
T/F. Many responses governed by the vaso-vagal reflexes also are produced by GI hormones.
True
What occurs with hormonal stimulation of vagal afferent fibers that express receptors for some of the GI hormones?
they communicate w/ brainstem w/o having to cross the BBB
GI hormones—-> Target
or GI hormones —> NS –> target
Describe the pathway of the GI peptides, hormones.
Enteroendocrine cells–> secretion into portal circulation –> liver –> systemic circulation –> target cell
Describe the pathway for the GI peptides, Paracrines.
Enteroendocrine cell –> diffusion –> target cell
Describe the pathway of the GI peptides, Neurocrines.
GI tract neuron–> action potential —> target cell
What are the 8 GI hormones?
- Gastrin
- CCK (cholecystokinin)
- Secretin
- GIP (glucose dependent insulinotropic peptide)
- Motilin
- Ghrelin
- Panreatic polypeptide
- GLP-1 (glucagon like peptides–Enteroglucagon)
What are the two incretins of the GI tract?
GIP and GLP-1
What cells secrete gastrin and where?
G (gastrin) cells in antrum of stomach
What hormones of the GI tract promotes hydrogen ion secretion? What cells secrete H+ ions?
Gastrin
promotes hydrogen ion secretion by gastric parietal cells
What will Gastrin’s fxn of stimulating H+ ion secretion do?
lower stomach pH–> and activates pepsinogen (secreted by chief cells)–> which begins process of protein digestion
What type of cells secrete pepsinogen?
chief cells
When is Gastrin secreted?
in response to eating a meal
What are the stimuli for Gastrin release?
- products of protein digestion (phenylalanine and tryptophan)
- Distention of stomach
- stimulation of the Vagus* (via GRP-Gastrin releasing peptide- from vagal nerves)
What inhibits Gastrin?
somatostatin and low stomach pH
What are the three physiologic effects of Gastrin?
- stimulate parietal cells to secrete H+ ions
- stimulate growth of gastric mucosa
- stimulate gastric emptying
What will excess Gastrin do?
- increase H+ ion secretion
- hypertrophy of gastric mucosa
What will deficiency of Gastrin do?
- decrease H+ ion secretion
- atrophy of gastric mucosa
What disease has a Gastrin secreting tumor, “gastrinoma”?
Zollinger-Ellison syndrome
Where is the “gastrinoma” in Zollinger-Ellison syndrome typically?
in pancreas (non beta-cell)
What will Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome cause?
Gastrin Secretion tumor:
- increase H+ secretion
- hypertrophy of gastric mucosa
- duodenal ulcers due to increase H+ secretion
- acidification of intestinal lumen –> inactiavte pancreatic lipase –> inhibits digestion of fats –> cause steatorrhea (fat in stool)
What will the acidificaiton of the intestinal lumen due to Zollinger-Ellison syndrome cause?
inactivation of pancreatic lipase–> inhibits digestion of fats–> leads to steatorrhea (fats in the stool)
What is the treatment for Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome?
- H2 receptor blockers (cimetidine)
- Inhibitors of H+ pumps (omeprazole)
- removal of the tumor
What GI hormone coordinates and promotes fat digestion and absorption?
CCK (cholecystokinin)
What are the two receptors that bind CCK? Which one can also bind gastrin?
- CCKa–> only bind CCK
2. CCKb –> equal affinity for BOTH CCK and gastrin
T/F. CCK peptide is structurally related to gastrin and has some gastrin activity.
True
What cells secrete CCK and where?
I cells of the duodenal and jejunal mucosa
What is CCK secreted in response to?
- monoglycerides and FAs (NOT TGs)
- small peptides and AAs
What type of meal will stimulate release of CCK?
a meal containing fat and protein