GI tract secretion Flashcards
What is the GI system generally co-ordinated by?
The integration of neural and hormonal signals
What can the signals be genearlly in the GI system?
- Physical (stretch receptors)
- Chemical (sight and presence of food)
- Additionally, there is considerable input from higher centres
What are the three phases the signals in the GI tract can be split into?
- Cephalic
- Gastric
- Intestinal
What is the cephalic phase ?
HEaring or smelling food, control is largely parasympathetic/vagal stimulation
What is the gastric phase controlled by?
- Parasympathetic
- Feedback control from small intestine
What can act as a feedback control mechanism?
- Secretin
- CCK
- GIP
- Distention
What substance can act as a feed-forward mechanism from gastric to intestinal phase?
Gastrin
What can change in the mouth in the cephalic phase in response to food/thinking of food?
Increased salivary secretion
What can change in the stomach in the cephalic phase?
- Increased:
- Secretion in stomach
- HCL secretion
- Mucus secretion
- Pepsin secretion
- Gastrin secretion
- Blood flow to stomach
What is the gastric phase initiated by?
Food entering the stomach causing distention and release of gastrin - espec caffeine, alcohol, calcium
What stimuli cause the G cells to produce gastrin?
- Parasympathetic pathways
- Decreased acidity in stomach due to buffering of food
- Distention of antrum
- Proteins, peptides and amino acids
What substances works to inhibit the action of G cells?
HCl
What does gastrin target?
- Increases gastric motility
- Parietal cells
- Trophic maintenance of GI epithelium
What is the intestinal phase initiated by?
Presence of food in the duodenum
What happens if the pH is >3 in the duodenum?
Duodenal peptides / amino acids cause release of gastrin
What happens if the pH is <2 in the duodenum?
Gaastric inhibition and intestinal stimulation
What substances do the duodenal fats and breakdown products cause the release of
- GIP
- CCK
What substance is released in response to acid entering the intestine?
Secretin
What is secretion?
The addition of substances (fluids, enzymes, ions etc.) into the lumen of the GI tract
What places secrete substances into the GI system?
- Salivary glands
- Cells of the gastric mucosa (gastric secretion)
- Exocrine cells of the pancreas (pancreatic secretion)
- Liver (bile)
What factors decrease secretion of saliva?
- Sleep
- Dehydration
- Atropine
How much saliva is secreted per day roughly?
1 litre
What are the functions of saliva?
- Initial digestion of starches and lipids (very little)
- Dilution and buffering of ingested foods
- Protection of teeth and gums
- Lubrication of ingested foods with mucous
What cells does the sublingual gland mostly contain?
Mucous cells
What cells does the submandibular gland contain?
Mixed glands containing serous and mucous cells
What cells does the parotid gland gland contain?
Serous cells secreting an aqueous fluid composed of water, ions and enzymes
What are the 3 stages of salivary secretion?
- Acini cells secrete primary secretion (isotonic)
- Myoepithelial cells stimulated by neural input to eject saliva
- Duct cells - secondary modification
What is found in the primary secretion?
- Na+, Cl-, K+, HCO3-
- Amylase and mucin production
What happens in secondary modification?
- Duct cells
- Reabsorb Na+ and Cl- and add K+
- HCO3- conc is altered depending on flow rate
- High flow rate, saliva has increased HCO3-
- Low flow rate, more HCO3- is extracted
What stimulates the salivary centre in the medulla?
- Simple - Chemo/presssure receptors in mouth , impulses sent via afferent nerves
- Acquired (conditioned), thinking about food, impulses sent from cerebral cortex triggers salivary centre
What kind of saliva is produced as a result of parasympathetic stimulation and how is it produced?
- IP3, Ca2+ produced in acinar or ductal cells
- Large volume of watery enzyme rich saliva produced
What kind of saliva is produced as a result of sympathetic stimulation and how?
- cAMP production increased
- Small volume of thick mucousy saliva produced
What is the main body of the oesophagus lined with and why?
- Simple mucous glands
- To protect against mechanical damage
What glands at the gastric end of the oesophagus protect it against chemical damage?
- Compound mucous glands
What are parietal cells?
Located in the body of the stomach and produce HCl and intrinsic factor
What are cheif cells?
Located in the body of the stomach and produce pepsinogen
Where are G cells located?
The antrum
Where are mucous cells located?
Antrum
How does HCl help with protein digestion?
Starts to denature them and activates pepsinogen to form pepsin
What can be absorbed as a result of the action of intrinsic factor?
Vitamin B12 (absorbed in ileum)