Pancreas Flashcards
1
Q
Describe the exocrine pancreas
A
- Large component
- Secretes digestive enzymes
- Secretes bicarbonate
- Digestive enzymes include: trypsin, carboxypeptidase, lipase, phospholipase, amylase, ribonuclease, deoxyribonuclease
2
Q
Describe the endocrine pancreas
A
- Concentrated in islets of Langerhans (1-2% of pancreas)
- 3 cell types
- Beta: insulin (60-70%)
- Alpha: glucagon (20-25%)
- Delta: somatostatin (10%)
- Also pancreatic polypeptide, ghrelin, vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) secretin, motilin and substance P
3
Q
Describe somatostatin
A
- Produced by hypothalamus (PVN), stomach, intestine, pancreas
- Paracrine function
- Suppresive to insulin and glucagon secretion by local beta and alpha cells
4
Q
Describe the synthesis of insulin
A
- Peptide hormone
- First: preprohormone
- Converted to prohormone (proinsulin)
- Have intracytoplasmic pool of proinsulin waiting for relase
- Secretion involves production of insulin from proinsulin
- Removal of C-peptide connecting 2 polypeptide chains which make up insulin (alpha and beta chains)
- These chains are connected by 2 disulphide bonds
5
Q
Describe the secretion of insulin
A
- From beta cells
- Involves remoal of C-peptide from proinsulin
- Enters veins, into portal system, to liver, acts on liver first, then rest enters general circulation
- 3 mechanism of regulation
6
Q
Describe the degradation of insulin
A
- In liver
- Within target cells after receptor binding
- Involves cleavage of 2 disulfide bonds
7
Q
What are the 3 mechanisms of insulin secretion regulation?
A
- Nutrients
- Gastrointestinal hormones
- Autonomic nervous system
8
Q
Outline how nutrients regulate insulin secretion
A
- Glucose and amino acids
- insulin secreted when these are high
- Action of insulin is to promote formation of storage molecules
9
Q
Outline how gastrointestinal hormones regulate insulin secretion
A
- Incretins
- e.g. gastric inhibitory pepide (GIP and glucagon like peptide (GLP-1)
- Promote release of insulin (as incretins are relased at feeding want to use nutrients in storage moleucles)
10
Q
Outline the autonomic nervous system regulation of insulin secretion
A
- Parasympathetic stimulates via vagus, increases gastrointestinal motility and digestion, higher insulin after feeding
- Sympathetic inhibits, direct innervation, indirect responses via adrenaline, stress response = hyperglycaemia, insulin secretion and action inhibited
11
Q
Outline the mechanism of release of insulin
A
- GLUT2 transporters allow glucose into beta cell
- Phosphotylation of glucose by glucokinase, traps glucose in cell
- Increase in ATP production
- Inhibits ATP-sensitive potassium channels
- Increased intracellular potassium concentration leads to depolarisation
- Voltage-gated calcium channels activated
- Influx of calcium triggers exocytosis of insulin
12
Q
What type of hormone is insulin?
A
Water soluble peptide hormone
13
Q
What signal transduction pathway is used by insulin?
A
Tyrosine kinase
14
Q
What are the cellular actions of insulin binding to its receptor?
A
- Activates tyrosine kinase signal transduction pathway
- Tyrosine kinase mediated signalling system promotes glycogen synthesis and other storage activities
- Movement of GLUT4 to memrbane so can be a receptor for glucose
15
Q
Describe the GLUT4 receptors
A
- Insulin stimulates translocation of GLUT4 proteins
- From cytoplasmic vesicles to plasma membrane
- Insulin responsive glucose transporters
- In skeltal muscle and adipose tissue are major sites for nutrient storage