What factors affect amylase secretion?
amylase is an enzyme that decomposes starch and is excreted in the juice and saliva of the pancreas. Most amylase secretion is charged with a pancreas, the digestive organ near the stomach and only a small amount is present in the saliva. This means that factors that affect the production of pancreatic juice are mainly factors that control the secretion of amylase. Pancreatic function is affected by both hormones and nerves. When the food reaches the stomach or passes into the small intestine, the pancreas is stimulated to secrete the digestive juices containing amylase.
As the purpose of amylase is to participate in digestion, it makes sense that the pancreas is excreted in response to the presence of food in the intestine. There is almost no secretion between meals. In saliva, the function of amylase is to start digestion of starch. Saliva is produced in response to signals from the nervous system, and therefore the mouth of people's water in anticipation of food.
The main factor of pancreatic pancreatic stimulation and support for amylase secretion are hormonal. Three different hormones that affect the pancreas, jThey are produced by cells in the digestive system and are known as gastrin, secretin and cholecystokinin. Two of them affect amylase secretion.
cholecystokinin is produced by cells in the duodenum, the length of the small intestine that leads from the stomach. When food leaves the stomach and enters the duodenum, cholecystokinin is excreted into the blood. It travels to the pancreas and binds to cellular receptors, causing the release of digestive enzymes, including secretion of amylase.
When food enters the stomach, hormonal gastrin is excreted. Like stimulating gastric acid production, it acts similarly to cholecystokinin on the pancreas. It causes secretion of amylase along with the release of other digestive enzymes in pancreatic juices. The hormone, secretion of amylase, is affected to a lesser extent with a nerve called vagus nerve. When one expects food to arrive, the vagus nerve sends signals to the pancreas BElmate, causing the release of digestive juices.
If the pancreas is damaged, amylase is released into the blood. This means that amylase tests that measure amylase levels in blood or urine samples can be used to detect a pancreatic disease. In a state known as acute pancreatitis where the pancreas is inflamed, amylase levels can increase until they are up to six times higher than usual. In successful treatment with painkillers and intravenous fluids, normal amylase levels can return in a few days.