Liver & Pancreas Flashcards
What are the main GI tract functions of the liver and pancreas?
Secretion
A number of drugs and waste products are excreted in the bile
What is produced in the liver?
How does it travel to its final destination?
Bile is produced in the liver and enters the bile duct
The bile enters the cystic duct, which passes to the gallbladder
How is the common hepatic duct formed?
The right hepatic duct (which drains bile from the right lobe of the liver) joins with the left hepatic duct
How is the common bile duct formed?
From the common hepatic duct joining with the cystic duct
The pancreas then joins the common bile duct before it enters the duodenum
How do bile and secretions from the pancreas enter the small intestine?
They enter the duodenum via the common bile duct
What is the role of the sphincter of Oddi?
It can close off the common duct to prevent substances entering the duodenum
What causes the sphincter of Oddi to relax?
It relaxes in response to CCK
This allows the secretions to enter the duodenum and mix with the food
CCK is produced when what type of food is eaten?
What effect does this have?
CCK is produced when fatty food is consumed
This will contract the gallbladder and relax the sphincter of Oddi
Why is the sphincter of Oddi closed most of the time?
How does this affect the gallbladder?
The pancreas does not release secretions very often
The liver produces bile all the time and if it cannot pass through the sphincter, it passes down the cystic duct to be stored in the gallbladder
What is the Ampulla of Vater?
a small prominence where the common bile duct enters the duodenum
what is the duct of Santorini?
an accessory pancreatic duct that joins the pancreas to the common bile duct
What initiates the cephalic phase?
Sensory inputs such as sight, smell, taste and mastication lead to the anticipation of food
These sensations lead to the first phase of pancreatic secretion - cephalic phase
What happens during the cephalic phase?
Vagal inputs from the medulla stimulate the release of ACh
ACh stimulates secretion of enzyme components in the pancreas and bile production in the liver
What initiates the gastric phase?
What is important in this phase?
The entry of food into the stomach initiates the gastric phase of pancreatic secretion
The vagus nerve is important in this phase
What will block the gastric phase?
Atropine and vagotomy
What is vagotomy?
a surgical operation in which one or more branches of the vagus nerve are cut, typically to reduce the rate of gastric secretion
What initiates the intestinal phase of pancreatic secretion?
The release of acidic chyme into the duodenum
Where is gastrin produced?
What is its stimulus, type of pathway and primary target?
Produced by G cells in the stomach
Stimulus: neural, amino acids, peptides
Pathway: endocrine
1st target: ECL and parietal cells
Where is cholecystokinin produced?
What is its stimulus, type of pathway and primary target?
Produced by I cells in the duodenum
Stimulus: fatty acids and some amino acids
Pathway: endocrine and paracrine
1st target: vagal afferent terminals, gallbladder
Where is secretin produced?
What is its stimulus, type of pathway and primary target?
Produced by S cells in the duodenum
Stimulus: acid in the small intestine
Pathway: endocrine and paracrine
1st target: vagal afferent terminals, pancreatic duct cells, cholangiocytes
Where is motilin produced?
What is its stimulus, type of pathway and primary target?
Produced in the intestine
Stimulus: neural, fasting
Pathway: paracrine
1st target: upper GI motility
Where is vasoactive intestinal peptide produced?
What type of pathway does it follow and what is its primary target?
Produced by nerve terminals throughout the GI tract
Pathway: neurocrine
1st target: smooth muscle, secretory cells
What is the role of motilin?
It increases the motility of the GI tract
What are APUD cells?
amine precursor uptake and decarboxylation cells
They are a form of neuroendocrine cells
What is the role of vasoactive intestinal peptide?
It modulates the activity of smooth muscle and secretory cells:
- increases the fluid and bicarbonate component
- increases GI motility through relaxation of smooth muscle
What is the role of gastric inhibitory peptide (GIP)?
It acts to decrease gastric motility
Where is gastrin mainly produced?
Most gastrin is produced in the antrum of the stomach
A small amount is produced in the duodenum
where are CCK and secretin produced?
CCK is mainly produced in the duodenum and jejunum, with a small amount being produced in the ileum
Secretin is produced in the duodenum
Where are GIP and motilin produced?
In the duodenum and jejunum
Why does CCK have similar effects on similar receptors to gastrin?
CCK is made from 33 amino acids
The last 5 amino acids of CCK are identical to the last 5 amino acids of gastrin
Where is CCK released from and what stimulates CCK release?
Released from I cells of the small intestine
CCK release is stimulated by lipids and peptides in the small intestine
which receptors are better for CCK, and which are better for gastrin?
CCK-A receptors are better for CCK
CCK-B receptors are better for gastrin
What are the main effects of CCK?
- stimulation of pancreatic enzyme secretion
- stimulation of gallbladder emptying
It also causes relaxation of the sphincter of Oddi
How is CCK release stimulated initially?
What type of secretion is involved?
Epithelial cells detect fatty acids and amino acids and release CCK-releasing peptide into the SI lumen
This is paracrine secretion
How does CCK-releasing protein lead to the release of CCK?
CCK-releasing peptide binds to receptors on the I cells
This causes the release of CCK
What will the CCK do after it has been released?
- CCK goes to the pancreas to generate the production of enzymes
- CCK causes the release of the monitor peptide