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Secretion of the pancreas

Endocrine - insulin & glucagon
Exocrine - enzymes and bicarbonate
essential for digestion
almost under separate hormonal control

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 Gall bladder

Sphincter of Oddi
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Endocrine pancreas

Ilets of langerhans

Alpha cell glucagon

Beta cells insulin
Gamma cells somatostatin
PP cells pancreatic polypeptide

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Anatomy and secretion

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 Exocrine Pancreas
Responsible for digestive function of pancreas

Anatomical Structure
Acini Ducts Pancreatic Duct

• Function

Secretion of bicarbonate by duct cells

Secretion of digestive enzymes by acinar cells

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 Zymogens
• Acinar cells contain digestive enzymes stored as
inactive zymogen granules
• Prevents autodigestion of pancreas
• Enterokinase (bound to brush border of duodenal
enterocytes) converts trypsinogen to trypsin
• Trypsin converts all other zymogens to active
forms

Duodenum
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 Categories of Pancreatic Enzymes

Proteases Cleave peptide bonds ( trypsin,

chymotrypsin, carboxypolypeptide)

Nucleases Hydrolyze DNA/RNA (DNAs, RNAs)

Collagen digestion
Elastases
(collagenase, elastase)

Phospholipids to fatty acids

Phospholipases
Triglycerides to fatty acids+
Lipases glycerol (pancreatic lipase)
Starch to maltose + glucose
(pancreatic amylase)
Amylase
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 Activation of pancreatic proteases

Enterokinase
Trypsinogen Trypsin

Trypsinogen Trypsin
Chymotrypsinogen Chymotrypsin
Proelastase Elastase
Procarboxypeptidase Carboxypeptidase

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 Bicarbonate function
Function
1. Neutralize gastric acid
emptied into the duodenum
2. Provide a favorable alkaline
environment for optimal
activity of pancreatic enzymes

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 Control of Pancreatic Function

• Bicarbonate secretion stimulated by secretin

• Secretin released in response to acid in
duodenum

• Zymogen secretion stimulated by

cholecystokinin (CCK)
• CCK released in response to fat/amino acids in
duodenum
• Also under neural control (vagal/local reflexes)
- triggered by arrival of organic nutrients in
duodenum
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 Control of pancreatic secretion
- secretion in 3 phases
Cephalic phase - only 10-15% of total secretion
Activation of vagal efferent stimulates enzyme release

Gastric phase - only present in some species

NOT SIGNIFICANT IN HUMANS
Intestinal phase - majority of secretion
Combination of hormones CCK and secretin and
neuronal reflex
Results in maximal enzyme and bicarbonate
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 Control of pancreatic secretion

Key hormones in stimulation of secretion

are:
Cholecystokinin (CCK) and Secretin
( released from the small intestine)
Inhibiting factors: SS, PP, glucagon

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Cholecystokinin
stomach
duodenum
CCK
I cells

Peptides Amino
Vagus afferent CCK release peptide
nerve – acids, Fatty Acid H
+

vagovagal Fat pancreas

reflex 5-HT

Enzymes

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 Secretin

H+
Fat
Peptides

S cells
HCO3-

Secretin
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Control of Pancreatic Function

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Intestinal phase of secretion
VAGUS

CCK
Peptides
Amino acids
Fat, H+

Secretin HCO3- ACh

Enzymes

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IV Biliary secretion

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 Structure/Function of Liver
Liver lobule

Central
vein Central
vein
Bile
Blood
Bile
canaliculus

Portal
triad
Hepatic
artery

Hepatic
portal vein
Portal triad 19
 Secretion and storage of bile

Constituents of bile Liver Gallbladder

Water 98% 92%
Bile salts 1% 6%
Bilirubin 0.04% 0.3%
Cholesterol 0.1% 0.3-0.9%
Fatty acids 0.12% 0.3-1.2%
Lecithin 0.04% 0.3%
Na, K, Ca, Cl, HCO3

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 Functions of bile
 Emulsification of fats
 Increasedabsorption of lipids into
enterocytes (include vitamin A, D, E, K)
 Cholesterol excretion (only route)
 Excretion
of breakdown products of
haemoglobin (bilirubin)

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 Liver - The enterohepatic
secretion circulation

Portal vein

Gallbladder- Common
storage & bile duct
concentration
Duodenum- Ileum -
digestion & absorption of
emulsification bile acids
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Up to 95% of the
cholesterol-based bile salts
are “recycled” by
reabsorption along the
intestine.

Inhibition of reabsorption
results in synthesis of new
bile acids and lowering of
cholesterol levels.

Increasing dietary fiber

could trap a greater
percentage of the bile in the
fibrous feces.
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 Regulation of Bile Release
 Acidic, fatty chyme causes the duodenum to release:
Cholecystokinin (CCK) and secretin into the bloodstream
 Bile salts and secretin transported in blood stimulate the liver to
produce bile
 Vagal stimulation causes weak contractions of the gallbladder
 Cholecystokinin causes:
The gallbladder to contract
The sphincter of Oddi to relax
 As a result, bile enters the duodenum

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