Gastric Secretion

• Stomach is an important part of GI system.

• The major function of stomach is the storage
of food.
• it regulates and control emptying of food into
the duodenum and prepares the chyme for
digestion and absorption in the small
intestine.
• Functions of Stomach.
1. Temporary storage of food
2. Grinding and mixing of food.
3. Controlled emptying of food
4. Secretion of hydrochloric acid.
5. HCl in the stomach converts ferric form of iron
into ferrous form.
6. Kills the microorganism.
7. Activates pepsinogen to pepsin.
8. Secretes intrinsic factor.
9. Stomach helps in absorption of water and lipid
soluble substances, such as alcohol and few drugs.
• Gastric Glands.
• There are three types of gastric glands:
1. The cardiac glands: Located below the lower
esophageal sphincter and contain mainly mucous
secreting cells. They secrete mucous and
bicarbonate ions.
2. The oxyntic glands: Located in the fundus and
body of the stomach and contain mainly the
oxyntic cells.
3. Pyloric glands: Present in the pyloric-antral
region and consist mainly of mucous neck cells
that secrete mucous and G cells that secrete
gastrin
• Oxyntic Gland
• The acid secreting oxyntic consists of neck, body
and base.
• They are mainly mucous secreting cell.
• It consist of different cell types including;
1. Mucous cell- seceretes mucous and
bicarbonate ions
2. Oxyntic or Parietal cells: Hcl and intrinsic factor
3. Chief or peptic cells: pepsinogen
4. Endocrine cells(enterochromaffin cells):ECL
secretes histamine,
• Other endocrine cells that secrete somatostatin,
VIP, glucagon, and enkephalin.
• G cells are present in antral region that secrete
gastrin.
• D cells that secrete somatostatin.
• Gastric Juice
• Composition of Gastric Juice-The amount of
gastric secretion per day varies from 1 to 2.5
liters.
• The gastric juice is highly acidic; having pH 0.7–4
• Constituents includes;
1. Water (99.5%)
2. Solids (0.5%)- inorganic and organic
• Inorganic constituents: Anions are Cl–, PO43–,
SO42–, and HCO3–; and cations are H+, Na+, K+,
Ca2+, and Mg2+.
• Organic constituents: Pepsinogen, intrinsic
factor, mucin, rennin, gastric lipase, gelatinase,
carbonic anhydrase, and lysozyme.
• Normal concentration of HCl is 40–60 mEq/L.
The maximum concentration can increase upto
150 mEq/L
• GASTRIC SECRETION
• Mechanism of HCl Secretion- is secreted from
parietal cells.
• H+ secretion is possible in stomach due to the
presence of numerous H+–K+ ATPases in apical
membrane of the parietal cells
1.H+–K+ pump actively pumps H+, in exchange for
H+, the K+ enters the cell.
2. In the cytosol of parietal cell, H+ is derived from
the break down of carbonic acid (H2CO3).
3. CO2 utilized for formation of H2CO3 is derived
from intracellular metabolisms and plasma
4. HCO3– formed by break down of H2CO3 is
exchanged for Cl– on the basolateral membrane of
the cell by HCO3 -Cl– exchanger
5. The Cl– that enters parietal cell is transported into
the gastric lumen.
6. In the lumen, Cl– combines with H+ to form HCl.
7. The HCO3 – enters blood stream from the
interstitial fluid.
8.each H+ secreted into the gastric lumen, one
HCO3 is reabsorbed into the plasma
9. Each H+ secreted into the gastric lumen,one
HCO3 is reabsorbed into the plasma-post-prandial
Alkaline Tide
• Factors that Influence HCl Secretion
• Factors that Stimulate Gastric Acid Secretion
1.Factors mainly act through:acetylcholine, gastrin
and histamine.
2. Mechanical and Chemical Factors:
mechanical distension that stretches G cells,
products of protein digestion, hot and spicy foods,
Factors that increase HCl secretion
Luminal factors
i. Distension of stomach
ii. Products of protein digestion

Hormonal (locally acting) factors

i. Acetylcholine
ii. Gastrin
iii. Histamine

Neural factors
i. Vagal stimulation (cholinergic and noncholinergic)
ii. Blood borne
iii. Epinephrine
Factors that decrease HCl secretion
Luminal factors
i. Increased acid content (highly acidic chyme)

Hormonal (locally acting) factors

i. Somatostatin

Blood-borne factors
i. Secretin
ii. GIP
iii. glucagon
• Regulation of Gastric Secretion
• Neural and humoral mechanisms.
• The neural mechanisms; are autonomic
influences, short and long GI reflexes, and central
influences mediated by vagus nerve.

• Gastric secretion occurs in three phases ;

• Cephalic
• Gastric
• intestinal
• GASTRIC FUNCTION TESTS
• Gastric function tests (GFTs) are performed to
diagnose various gastric and duodenal anomalies
and to monitor the effectiveness of the therapy. It
includes:
• Examination of gastric contents
• Test for gastric acid secretion
• Tests for pepsin, mucous, intrinsic factor
• Tests for gastrin
• Visualization of the interior of stomach
• Tests for gastric motility and electrical activities
(gastrography)
• Obtaining biopsy from the suspected tissue.
• APPLIED ASPECTS
• The common diseases related to gastric secretion
are gastritis and peptic ulcer.
• Gastritis
• Peptic Ulcers
• PANCREATIC SECRETION.
• It both major endocrine and exocrine tissues
• The exocrine pancreas
• Constitutes about 80% of the total mass of the
pancreas and its respnsible for digetion and
absorption
• Its deficiency results in severe indigestion,
malabsorption and malnutrition.
• The endocrine pancreas is involved in energy
metabolism, deficiency of which results in
diabetes mellitus
• Structure of Exocrine Pancreas
• Composition and Functions
• Composition
• The pancreatic secretion has aqueous component
(98%) and enzyme component (2%).

• Aqueous Component
• This contains mainly water and ions. The cations
are Na+, K+, Ca++, Mg++, and Zn++, and the
anions are HCO3–, Cl–, PO43–, and SO4
• Enzyme Component
• Enzymes for Lipid Digestion
• Enzymes for lipid digestion are pancreatic lipase
(triacylglycerol hydrolase, cholesterol ester
hydrolase, and phospholipase A2), colipase and
phospholipases
• The pancreatic lipase digests neutral lipids into
fatty acids and monoglycerides.
• The colipase facilitates the action of lipase.
• The phospholipase acts on phospholipids.
• Cholesterol hydrolase splits cholesterol esters
into cholesterol and fatty acids
• Enzymes for Protein Digestion
• Enzymes for protein digestion are trypsin,
chymotrypsin, carboxypeptidase, procollagenase,
proelastase, and nucleases.
• These proteolytic enzymes are secreted in the
inactive forms like trypsinogen,
chymotrypsinogen, procarboxypeptidase,
procollagenases, proelastase, and pronucleases
• The enzymes are activated in the intestine.
• The first step in the process of activation is the
activation of trypsinogen to trypsin, which is
mediated by the intestinal enzyme
enteropeptidase (enterokinase)
• Once trypsin is formed, it converts other
proenzymes to their active forms
• Trypsin is strongly proteolytic.

• Factors that normally prevent autodigestion of

pancreas are:
• Enzymes are present in inactive form.
• Trypsin inhibitor in pancreatic tissue does not
allow active trypsin to be formed (trypsin remains
inhibited).
• The wall of acini is thick, and therefore does not
allow pancreatic enzymes to escape into the
pancreatic tissue
• Enzymes for Carbohydrate Digestion
• Pancreatic amylase splits starch at α-1,4-
glycosidic linkage.
• This is an α-amylase that acts on starch to
produce maltose, α-limit dextrin, etc. It differs
from salivary amylase by its action on both boiled
and unboiled starch (salivary
• amylase acts only on boiled starch).
• Functions of Pancreatic Secretion.
• Pancreatic secretion contains enzymes that help
in digestion of fat, protein and carbohydrate

• Pancreatic secretion contains bicarbonate and

water that neutralizes acidic chyme entering
intestine from stomach

• It also neutralizes the effects of bile acids thus, it

prevents formation of duodenal ulcer
• Mechanism of Secretion
• Secretion of Aqueous Component
• Pancreatic juice is nearly isotonic with plasma at
any rate of formation and flow

• The ionic composition includes mainly cations

(Na+ and K+) and the anions (HCO3– and Cl–)

• The Na+ and K+ concentration of pancreatic juice

is similar to that of plasma. But, HCO3– and Cl–
concentration varies according to the rate of
secretion.
• At lower rate of secretion, concentration of
HCO3– and Cl– is about 70% of plasma.
• At higher rate of secretion, their concentration is
more than 100% of plasma
• The aqueous component secreted by the duct
cell is hypertonic to plasma as it contains more
HCO3
• when the secretion passes through the ducts,
water moves into the duct lumen to make the
pancreatic juice isotonic, during which HCO3 – is
partly exchanged with Cl– by HCO3–- Cl
exchanger present on the luminal membrane
• HCO3 – in epithelial cell is derived from carbonic
acid, which is formed by CO2 and water.
• In duct epithelial cells, on the basolateral
surface, Na+-K+ pump actively pumps K+ into the
cell.
• The cytosolic H+ is exchanged by Na+-H+
exchanger
• Secretion of Enzyme Components
• Pancreatic enzymes are synthesized in the acinar
cells and stored in the zymogen granules.

• The granules are located toward the apical region

of the cells.

• In response to appropriate stimulation, the

granules are released by exocytosis into the
lumen of acinus
• Factors That Influence Secretion.
• Pancreatic secretion is influenced by neural and
hormonal factors.
• Hormonal factors are; cholecystokinin (CCK) and
secretin.
• Cholecystokinin stimulates enzymatic pancreatic
secretion,
• secretin stimulates pancreatic secretion rich in
water and bicarbonate.
• Neural factors are sympathetic and
parasympathetic.
• Parasympathetic stimulation increases secretion
• whereas sympathetic stimulation decreases
secretion.
• The control mechanism varies according to the
phases of secretion
• Regulation of Secretion
• There are three phases of pancreatic secretion:
cephalic, gastric, and intestinal

• Mechanisms of pancreatic secretion are different

in different phases of secretion
• APPLIED PHYSIOLOGY.
• Acute Pancreatitis.
• Cystic Fibrosis