Pancreas

The Pancreas
The

pancreas is an accessory organ which lies right below the stomach. It produces many of the digestive enzymes and also secretes and alkaline
fluid

that helps neutralize the acid in chyme.

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The Pancreas
Exocrine: - secretes pancreatic juice into the lumen of the pancreatic duct

Endocrine: - secretes insulin, glucagon, somatostatin into the blood.

Pancreas
Spongy gland retroperitoneal Posterior to stomach Endocrine & exocrine function Exocrine cells acinar cells produce 1200 to 1500 ml pancreatic juice /day Pancreatic duct delivers juices to duodenum At hepatopancreatic ampulla

Pancreas

Exocrine:
Acini:

Insert fig. 18.26

Secrete pancreatic juice.

Endocrine:
Islets of

Langerhans:

Secrete insulin and glucagon.

The main digestive function of the pancreas is to secrete the enzymes that break down the macromolecules in food and to produce smaller nutrient molecules for intestinal absorption.
Pancreatic enzymes are essential for digestion

Composition of pancreatic juice

Pancreatic

juice consists mainly of water, enzymes, and bicarbonate ions. This high pH enables pancreatic fluid to neutralize the acid chyme entering the duodenum and provides and optimal environment for the activity of enzymes
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PANCREATIC JUICE
Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) Pancreatic amylase Pancreatic lipase fat-digesting enzymes Cholesterol esterase Nucleases DNAse and RNAse Protein-digesting enzymes
trypsinogen chymotrypsinogen procarboxypeptisase secreted in inactive form activated in small intestine by enterokinase

Pancreatic juices

Water Enzymes pancreatic amylase, pancreatic lipase, nucleases Zymogens trypsinogen, chymotrypsinogen, procarboxypeptidase( intestinal lumen trypsinogen activated to trypsin by enterokinase ; trypsin converts chymotrypsinogen chymotrypsin and procarboxypeptidase carboxypeptidase = protein digestion) Sodium bicarbonate buffers HCl from stomach

Pancreatic Juice

Contains H20, HC03- and digestive enzymes.

Pancreatic Juice

Complete digestion of food requires action of both pancreatic and brush border enzymes.
Most pancreatic enzymes

Fig. 18.29

are produced as zymogens. Trypsin (when activated by enterokinase) triggers the activation of other pancreatic enzymes.

Pancreatic trypsin inhibitor attaches to trypsin.

Inhibits its activity in the

pancreas.

Exocrine secretes 1,200-1,500 mL of pancreatic juice per day into the main pancreatic duct.

It empties into duodenum when hepato-pancreatic sphincter opens.

Pancreatic secretion acini duct acinus Pancreatic enzymes

+
ducts

H2O, Na+, HCO3-, other ions

Pancreatic secrfetion

inactive
trypsinogen

enterokinase
trypsin

chymotrypsinogen procarboxypolypeptidase

chymotrypsin

Carboxypolypeptidase

The Pancreas
Pancreatic proteases are secreted in an inactive form and activated in the duodenum. This prevents the pancreas from self-digestion. For example, within the duodenum, trypsiongen is activated to trypsin by enterokinase, and intestinal brush border enzyme. Trypsin, a proteolytic enzyme, then activates procarboxypeptidase and chymotrypsinogen.

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The Pancreas
Just

like the secretion of bile, parasympathetic nerve stimulation leads to the release of pancreatic juice. Also, secretin leads to the release of the watery, bicarbonate rich component and the cholecystokinin leads to the release of the enzyme rich component of the pancreatic juice.
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protein
trypsin

chymotrypsin
peptides

Carboxypolypeptidase

Amino acids

starches

glycogen

Pancreatic amylase

Disaccharides and trisaccharides

Pancreatic lipase

Neutral fat

Fatty acids and monoglycerides Cholesterol esters

Cholesterol esterase

phospholipase

phospholipid

Acini also secrete trypsin inhibitor trypsin inhibitor prevents the activation of trypsin, therefore inhibit the other proteolytic enzymes trypsin inhibitor prevents the digestion of pancreas by trypsin and other enzymes When the pancreas is severely damaged, large quantities of pancreatic secretion become pooled in the damaged areas of the pancreas. Under these conditions, the effect of trypsin inhibitor is sometimes overwhelmed, so pancreatic secretions become activated and literally digest the pancreas, which produce a kind of disease called acute pancreatitis

Secretion of bicarbonate ions

ducts

HCO3-

There are large numbers of HCO3- in the pancreatic juice, which could neutralize the HCl emptied into the duodenum from the stomach

Luminal border
Osmotic pressure increase

Na+
H+

HCO3-

H2O
H2CO3 H2O+CO2

Carbonic anhydrase

CO2
Na+ blood

Blood border

Regulation of pancreatic secretion

three basic stimuli are important in causing pancreatic secretion

Nervous endings

acetylcholine
Intestinal mucosa cholystokinin

Stimulate the acinar cells of the pancreas much more than the ductal cells Cause production of large quantities of pancreatic enzymes but relatively small quantities of fluid and ions

Intestinal mucosa
secretin

Cause production of large quantities of fluid and ions but relatively small quantities of pancreatic enzymes

Phases of pancreatic secretion Account for 20% of the total secretion of pancreatic enzymes after a meal 5 to 10% Secretin intestinal phase

Cephalic phase gastric phase

cholecystokinin

Secretin Acid chyme S cells secretin

Secrete large quantities of water and NaHCO3

Secretin is absorbed into the blood

pancreas

NaHCO3 Neutralize HCl coming from the stomach

HCl+ NaHCO3 =NaCl+H2CO3

CO2

H2O

Provides an appropriate pH for action of the pancreatic enzymes, which function optimally in a slightly alkaline or neutral

Protect the stomach mucosa

cholecystokinin Break down products of food I cells cholecystokinin cholecystokinin is absorbed into the blood

Secrete large quantities of pancreatic enzymes

pancreas

Regulation of Bile and Pancreatic Secretion

- secreted in response to similar stimuli. -Cephalic and Gastric phases The vagus nerves stimulate pancreatic secretion.

The Intestinal Phase

- Chyme with acid and fat, stimulate the duodenal mucosa to secrete

cholecystokinin
(CCK).

1) relaxation of the hepatopancreatic sphincter, 2) the contraction of the gallbladder 3) secretion of pancreatic juice and enzymes.

The Intestinal Phase

- Acidic chyme also stimulates the duodenum to release secretin.

secretion of bicarbonate by both the hepatic and pancreatic ducts

PANCREATIC REGULATION
NEURAL CONTROL
psychic stimuli stretch of stomach

ENDOCRINE CONTROL
acid chyme in duodenum

increased parasympathetic impulses via vagus nerve

enteroendocrine cells stimulated

increased pancreatic secretion

increased secretin

increased cholecystokinin

increased secretion of bicarbonate ions

increased secretion of enzymes