pancreas diseases : Pancreatic Endocrine Hormones and Their Purpose

Insulin

Purpose: Regulate blood glucose (sugar) in the normal range (lots more about this)
Action: Forces many cells of the body to absorb and use glucose thereby decreasing blood sugar levels
Secreted in response to: High blood glucose
Secretion inhibited by: Low blood glucose
Disease due to deficient action: Diabetes (large section of Endocrine Web is devoted to Diabetes).
Disease due to excess action: Hypoglycemia
Tumor called: Insulinoma. Please see this link for more information "Insulinoma.Net".


Glucagon

Purpose: Assist insulin in regulating blood glucose (sugar) in the normal range (actions are opposite of insulin)
Action: Forces many cells of the body to release (or produce) glucose (increasing blood sugar)
Secreted in response to: Low blood glucose
Secretion inhibited by: High blood glucose
Disease due to deficient action: Some times nothing, sometimes hypoglycemia
Disease due to excess action: Hyperglycemia
Tumor called: Glucagonoma (new page about this soon)


Somatostatin

Purpose: Regulate the production and excretion of other endocrine tumors
Action: Slows down production of insulin, glucagon, gastrin, and other endocrine tumors
Secreted in response to: High levels of other endocrine hormones
Secretion inhibited by: Low levels of other endocrine hormones
Disease due to deficient action: Poorly defined
Disease due to excess action: Diabetes (inhibits insulin production), gallstones, and dietary fat intolerance.
Tumor called: Somatostatinoma (new page about this soon)


Gastrin

Purpose: Assist in digestion within the stomach
Action: Induce acid producing cells of the stomach to produce acid
Secreted in response to: Food in the stomach and intestines
Secretion inhibited by: Absence of food in stomach and intestines
Disease due to deficient action: Poorly defined, some times no symptoms at all
Disease due to excess action: Stomach ulcers due to excess stomach acid
Tumor called: Gastrinoma (also called Zollinger Ellison Syndrome) (new page about this soon)


Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide (VIP)

Purpose: Help control water secretion and absorption from the intestines
Action: Causes intestinal sells to secrete water and salts into the intestines (inhibit absorption)
Secreted in response to: Unclear
Secretion inhibited by: Unclear
Disease due to deficient action: No symptoms at all
Disease due to excess action: Severe watery diarrhea and salt (potassium) imbalances
Tumor called: VIPoma
pancreas diseases

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