Each islet of Langerhans performs a very, very important role for the whole organism. Its main role is to control the content of carbohydrates in the blood.
Discovery history
The islet of Langerhans was first described in 1869. Paul Langerhans, a young student of Rudolf Virchow, became the discoverer of these important formations located in the pancreas (mainly in its tail part). It was he who first examined in 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, for the first time, a link was established between the defeat of the islets of Langerhans and the development of diabetes mellitus.
What could be the islet of Langerhans?
Currently, this structure has already been studied quite well. It is now well known that this education has varieties. The following are currently known:
- alpha cells;
- beta cells;
- delta cells;
- pp-cells;
- epsilon-cells.
It is precisely because of this diversity that the cells of the islets of Langerhans perform all the duties that are assigned to them.
Alpha cells
This variety makes up approximately 15-20% of all 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. Once released, glucagon travels to the liver, where it binds to special receptors and regulates glucose production through the breakdown of glycogen.
Beta cells
The islets of Langerhans of this variety are the most common. They make up about 65-80% of the total. It has now been established that their main function is to produce one of the most important hormones - insulin. This substance is a glucagon antagonist. It helps to activate the formation of glycogen and its storage in the cells of the liver and muscles. As a result of this process, there is a decrease in the amount of glucose in the blood.
Delta cells
Islets of Langerhans of the pancreas of this type are not so common. They are only 2-10% of the total. Now their functional features are well known. It has been established that these cells synthesize somatostatin. The function of this biologically active substance is to suppress the production of somatotropic, thyrotropic and somatotropin-releasing hormone. That is, it acts directly on the hypothalamus, as well as the anterior pituitary gland.
PP cells
Each islet of Langerhans of this type is involved in the production of a 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 helps to relax the smooth muscles of the gallbladder. In recent years, the dependence of the level of production of this substance on the formation of malignant neoplasms has been actively studied. As a result, it was found that during their development, the level of pancreatic polypeptide increases. 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. Their number is less than 1% of the total. The main task of these cells is to produce a hormone called ghrelin. This active substance has many functions, but its appetite-regulating effects are the most studied.
About the pathology of the islets of Langerhans
The defeat of these important structures has a very serious negative impact on the body. In the event that antibodies are produced to the islets of Langerhans, the number of the latter progressively decreases. The defeat of more than 90% of cells reduces the production of insulin to a critically low level. The result is the developmentsuch a dangerous disease as diabetes. Antibodies to cells of the islets of Langerhans appear more often in relatively young patients.
Serious damage to the population of these hormone-producing cells can cause an inflammatory process in the pancreas - pancreatitis.
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 who, among all food products, 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. At the same time, the situation will be aggravated if the patient has not eaten 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 necessary to consult a specialist - a general practitioner or a gastroenterologist. Doctors of these speci alties will prescribe a rational course of treatment that can significantly slow down the development of pathological changes. In the future, you will have to undergo an ultrasound examination of the pancreas annually.gland, 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 shingles character and occurs more often after taking a large amount of food rich in animal fats. In addition, the patient after eating may be disturbed by a constant feeling of heaviness in the abdomen. All these symptoms quickly leave him or reduce their severity against the background of taking drugs containing pancreatin. Among them, the most popular drugs are "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 damaging this organ.
