Insulin, Glucagon and Diabetes mellitus Flashcards
Two major tissue types of the pancreas
Acini
Islets of langerhans
Hormone commonly secreted together with insulin
amylin
Distribution of the different types of cells in islets of langerhans and their secretions
Beta cells
- 60% of the cells
- found mostly in the middle of islets
- secrete insulin and amylin
Alpha cells
- 25% of the cells
- secrete glucagon
Delta cells
- 10%
- secrete somatostatin (Growth hormone inhibitory hormone)
PP cells
- 5%
- pancreatic polypeptide
insulin is inhibited by
amylin and somatostatin
5 functions of insulin
- energy storage; promoting glucose uptake
- conversion of excess carbohydrates into lipids to be stored in adipocytes
- promotes uptake of amino acids
- promotes conversion of amino acids into protein
- prevents protein breakdown
why is C peptide secreted in same amounts as insulin?
Because during cleavage of pre-insulin, insulin and the resulting C peptide are released as products of the cleavage and packaged together in the same secretory vesicles
Connecting (C) peptide binds to
sodium potassium ATPase
nitric oxide synthase
Low levels of C peptide is an indication of which condition?
type 1 diabetes as it indicates patients not able to produce insulin
Insulin is cleaved by
insulinase
Explain structure of insulin receptor
Made of four subunits held together by disulfide bonds
2 alpha subunits lie outside cell membrane facing ECM while 2 beta subunits connected to alpha subunits penetrate through membrane to protrude on cytoplasmic side
Insulin receptor is what type of receptor
enzyme-linked
Mechanism of insulin binding to insulin receptor
Insulin binds to alpha subunits
Autophosphorylation of beta subunits
Activation of tyrosine kinase
Activation of IRS = activation of proteins involved in glucose transport, protein synthesis, fat, glycogen synthesis and gene expression
End effects of insulin binding to its receptor
- Increased glucose uptake due to release of glucose transporters to cell membrane
- Increase cell permeability to amino acids, potassium, and phosphate ions
- Phosphorylation of intacellular enzymes changes their activity levels deactivating some and further increasing others
- Change in DNA transcription and mRNA translation (slowest effect) = formation of new proteins to exert insulin effects
Insulin greatest effect is on which tissues?
Muscles
Adipose
Liver
During resting, what is muscle’s main energy source? Why?
It’s fatty acids because during resting membrane potential, muscle cells less permeable to glucose so don’t have much glucose entering
True or false: In between meals under normal conditions, insulin causes increase in glucose uptake, resulting in glucose instead of fatty acids being used by muscles
False: In normal conditions, amount of insulin secreted is too small to cause significant glucose uptake by muscles for them to switch to using glucose
When does muscle cell use glucose for energy?
Right after a meal when insulin secreted is high enough to cause significant glucose uptake, but only if the muscle is exercised. If it’s not exercised most of the glucose goes into glycogen storage.
During exercise (this effect is not insulin mediate), when contraction causes increased translocation of GLUT4 to membranes
Concentration limit of glycogen storage in muscles
2-3%
Effect of insulin on liver
Increase glycogen storage
Mechanism of insulin effect on liver
To increase glycogen storage
- Deactivation of glycogen phosphorylase which causes inhibition of glycogenolysis
- Activation of glycogen synthase
- Activation of glucokinase = trapping of glucose to increase glucose available for glycogenesis
Rate by which insulin increase glucose transport into a resting muscle
15-fold
At which glucose level does hypoglycemic shock develop?
20 to 50 mg/100 mL plasma