Endocrine function of

pancreas

Khalaf allah S khalaf allah

Sinnar university
College of medicine
Department of physiology
 Islets of langerhans
Clusters of cells between acini of exocrine pancreas
150 m diameter
Consist of four types of cells:
A or cells (20%) secrete glucagon
B or cells (75%) secrete insulin
D or cells (3-5%) secrete somatostatin
F or (< 2%) secrete pancreatic polypeptide (PP)
Insulin
 Insulin
Control blood glucose level, storage and utilization of
glucose
5 min half life
Is a polypeptide (51 amino acids) consist of tow chains
connecting together by disulphide bridges;
A chain (21 amino acids)

B chain (30 amino acids)

Proinsulin consist of C chain removed before insulin

secretion
 Cont
Secreted in pancreatic veins portal veins
liver (half is bound) circulate in blood
Enter cells by penocytosis and degraded in al most all
cells by proteolytic enzymes
 Reg of insulin secretion
Secretion is increased after food intake
Glucose is main stimulus act via entering B cells and
increase intracellular Ca2+
Amino acids in diet strongly stimulate insulin secretion
Parasympathetic stimulate it while sympathetic inhibit
it via receptors
 Cont
GIT hormones (glucagon, gastrin, secretin and gastric
inhibitory peptide GIP)
High level of ketoacids stimulate insulin secretion
Somatostatin inhibit secretion of insulin
Thiazide diuretics inhibit it secretion
Insulin
action
 Insulin action
The insulin receptor is a tyrosine kinase enzyme
After glucose enters a cell, insulin binding triggers
enzymatic activity that:
Catalyzes the oxidation of glucose for ATP

production
Polymerizes glucose to form glycogen

Converts glucose to fat (particularly in adipose

tissue)
 Carbohydrate metabolism
Hypoglycaemic effect via:
Facilitate glucose uptake by increasing glucose

transporters (GLUT)
Increase glycogen synthesis in liver and skeletal

muscles
Decrease glucose output from the liver by increase

glycogen synthesis and decreasing gluconeogenesis

Increase glucose utilization by skeletal muscles and

adipose tissues
 Cont
Glucose transport in skeletal muscles and adipose
tissues depend on insulin
some tissues such as liver, brain, kidneys and RBCs do
not require insulin for glucose uptake
 Insulin effects in liver
Insulin inactivates liver phosphorylase, the principal
enzyme that causes liver glycogen to split into
glucose
Insulin causes enhanced uptake of glucose from the
blood by the liver cells by increasing the activity of
the enzyme glucokinase, which is one of the enzymes
that causes the initial phosphorylation of glucose after
it diffuses into the liver cells
Insulin also increases the activities of the enzymes
that promote glycogen synthesis, including especially
glycogen synthase
 Protein metabolism
Has anabolic effect
Increase uptake of amino acid by cells (liver and
skeletal muscles)
Increase rate of protein synthesis (liver and skeletal
muscles)
Decrease protein catabolism
 Fat metabolism
Anabolic effects
Increase FFAs synthesis in adipose tissues
Inhibit FFAs mobilization from adipose tissues
Increase synthesis of glycerol phosphate
Increase formation and deposition of triacylglycerols
Decrease of ketogenesis in liver and enhance uptake of them
by skeletal muscles
Inhibit lipoprotein lipase ( triacylglycerol FFAs &
glycerol)
 Electrolytes
Increase K+ up take by increasing Na+-K+ pump
 Diabetes Mellitus (DM)
Results from hyposecretion or hypoactivity of insulin
The three cardinal signs of DM are:
Polyuria huge urine output

Polydipsia excessive thirst

Polyphagia excessive hunger and food

consumption
Hyperinsulinism excessive insulin secretion, resulting
in hypoglycemia
Glucagon
 Chemistry
Is a polypeptide (29 amino acids)
3-6 half life
Is removed and degraded in liver and kidneys
 Control of secretion
Is mainly by blood glucose level
Hypoglycemia stimulate it secretion
Hyperglycemia inhibit its secretion
Ingestion of protein and amino acids stimulate it
secretion
Sympathetic nerves stimulate it via receptors
Exercise, trauma, pain, infection stimulate it secretion
Somatostatin inhibit it secretion
Secretin and insulin inhibit it
Parasympathetic inhibit it secretion
Action of
glucagon
 CHO metabolism
Regulate blood glucose
Generally, has an opposite effects to those of insulin
Increase blood glucose by;
cAMP glycogen phosphorylase
glycogenolysis in liver not in muscles
 Protein metabolism
Protein breakdown in muscles
Protein synthesis in liver
Gluconeogenesis from some amino acids
 Fat metabolism
Fat mobilization via cAMP FFAs
ketogenesis
Triglycerol synthesis and output from liver
Somatostati
n
 Somatostatin
Polypeptide 41 amino acids
Inhibit insulin and glucagon secretion