Each islet of Langerhans has a very, very important role for the whole organism. Its main role is to control the content of carbohydrates in the blood.
Discovery story
The islet of Langerhans was first described in 1869. The discoverer of these important formations located in the pancreas (mainly in the caudal part) was a young student of Rudolf Virchow - Paul Langerhans. It was he who first examined under a microscope a cluster of cells that in their morphological structure differed from other pancreatic tissues.
It was further established that the islets of Langerhans perform an endocrine function. This discovery was made by K.P. Ulezko-Stroganova. In 1889, the first link was established between the defeat of the islets of Langerhans and the development of diabetes.
What could be an islet of Langerhans?
Currently, this structure has already been studied quite well. Now it is well known that this formation has varieties. The following are currently known:
- alpha cells;
- beta cells;
- delta cells;
- pp cells;
- epsilon cells.
It is thanks to this diversity that the cells of the islets of Langerhans fulfill all the duties that are assigned to them.
Alpha cells
This variety makes up about 15-20% of all the available islets of Langerhans. The main task of alpha cells is the production of glucagon. This hormone has a lipid nature and is a kind of insulin antagonist. When released, glucagon is sent to the liver, where, by contacting special receptors, it regulates glucose production through the breakdown of glycogen.
Beta cells
The islets of Langerhans of this species are the most common. They make up approximately 65-80% of the total. It has now been established that their main function is the production of one of the most important hormones - insulin. This substance is a glucagon antagonist. It contributes to the activation of glycogen formation and its storage in liver and muscle cells. As a result of this process, there is a decrease in the amount of glucose in the blood.
Delta cells
Pancreatic islets of Langerhans of this type are not so common. There are only 2-10% of the total. Now their functional features are well known. It was found that these cells synthesize somatostatin. The function of this biologically active substance is to suppress the production of growth hormone, thyrotropic and growth hormone releasing hormone. That is, it acts directly on the hypothalamus, as well as the anterior pituitary gland.
PP cells
Each islet of this type of Langerhans produces pancreatic polypeptide. Until the end, its function has not been studied. Currently, he is credited with the properties of suppressing the production of pancreatic juice. In addition, its effect contributes to the relaxation of the smooth muscles of the gallbladder. In recent years, the dependence of the level of production of a given substance on the formation of malignant neoplasms has been quite actively studied. As a result, it was found that with their development, the level of pancreatic polypeptide rises. So this biologically active substance can be considered a good marker of malignant neoplasms of the pancreas.
Epsilon cells
Such islets of Langerhans are the rarest. Of the total number, their number is less than 1%. The main task of such cells is to produce a hormone called ghrelin. This active substance has a large number of functions, but its regulatory effect on appetite is most studied.
About the pathology of islets of Langerhans
The defeat of these critical structures has a very serious negative effect on the body. In the event that antibodies are produced to the islets of Langerhans, the number of the latter is progressively reduced. The defeat of more than 90% of cells reduces insulin production to a critically low level. The result is the development of such a dangerous disease as diabetes. Antibodies to the cells of islets of Langerhans more often appear in relatively young patients.
Pancreatitis, an inflammatory process in the pancreas, can seriously damage a population of these hormone-producing cells.
How to save islet cells?
To do this, you have to take care of the entire pancreas as a whole. First of all, it is necessary to abandon excesses in alcoholic beverages. The fact is that it is they among all food products that have the most negative effect on the pancreas. In the case of prolonged use of alcoholic beverages, a person develops and progresses pancreatitis, which over time can lead to significant damage to islet cells.
In addition to alcoholic beverages, a large amount of food rich in animal fats has a rather negative effect on the pancreas. In this case, the situation will be aggravated if the patient did not eat anything for a long time before the feast.
In the event that there is already a chronic inflammatory process in the pancreatic tissue, it is imperative to consult a specialist - therapist or gastroenterologist. Doctors of these specialties will prescribe a rational course of treatment that can significantly slow down the development of pathological changes. In the future, each year, an ultrasound examination of the pancreas will have to be performed, which is performed in combination with other organs of the abdominal cavity. In addition, it is necessary to take a biochemical blood test for the content of amylase in it.
To determine the beginning of the development of chronic pancreatitis, in addition to laboratory and instrumental studies, the clinic will also help. The main symptom of this disease is the occurrence of pain in the left hypochondrium. At the same time, this soreness has a girdling character and occurs more often after eating a large amount of food rich in animal fats. In addition, the patient after a meal may be disturbed by a constant feeling of heaviness in the abdomen. All these symptoms quickly enough leave him or reduce their severity on the background of taking drugs containing pancreatin. Among them, the most popular drugs were Creon, Mezim, and Pancreatin. If an inflammatory process occurs in the pancreatic tissue, it is better to completely abandon the use of alcohol. The fact is that even a small amount of it can aggravate the pathological process, thereby significantly harming this organ.