What is insulin secretion?

Insulin secretion is a process in the human body that primarily occurs in response to glucose levels in the blood becoming elevated. However, although the process is not fully understood, research has demonstrated that several steps occur in a predictable fashion. For example, it is known that insulin facilitates the entry of glucose into cells. Stimulants for insulin secretion can range from seeing, smelling or tasting food to increases in fuel molecules in the blood. Those fuel molecules include amino and fatty acids.

Insulin production, secretion

The normal fasting blood glucose concentration in humans is between 80 mg/100 mL and 90 mg/100 mL. This is linked to very low levels of insulin secretion.

Insulin is produced in the pancreas and is synthesized in the pancreas within the beta cells of the islets of Langerhans.

There are many effects of insulin secretion, including increased glycogen synthesis; increased lipid synthesis; increased esterification of fatty acids; decreased proteolysis; decreased lipolysis; decreased glucogenesis; decreased autophagy; increased amino acid uptake; increased potassium uptake; arterial muscle tone; increase in the secretion of hydrochloric acid by parietal cells in the stomach; and decreased renal sodium excretion.

Type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus, insulinoma, metabolic syndrome and polycystic ovary syndrome are diseases associated with problems with insulin secretion.

Biosynthetic insulin has been produced by scientists and may be used to treat some of these conditions.

Type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is associated with problems of insulin secretion. Previously called insulin-dependent diabetes, or juvenile-onset diabetes, the causes of type 1 diabetes are not entirely known. However, the disease may be a result of genetic factors and “environmental triggers,” which cause an immune attack against the cells in the pancreas that are responsible for producing insulin. As the body cannot make enough of the hormone, glucose then remains in the blood, unable to reach the cells.

Diabetes can cause several serious health conditions, including heart disease, kidney failure and amputations of the lower extremities.

Treatments for type 1 diabetes include insulin injections, an improved diet and increased physical activity, and controlling blood pressure and cholesterol.

Type 1 diabetes is much less common than type 2, which is usually related to insulin resistance, accounting for about 5% of all diagnosed cases. In comparison, type 2 diabetes accounts for at least 90% of diagnosed cases.

Additional information may be found at these websites:

http://bloodjournal.hematologylibrary.org/cgi/collection/gene_expression

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003706.htm

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/metabolism/WT00006/

http://www.nature.com/jcbfm/index.html

http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/

http://www.hormone.org/Public/endocrinologist.cfm

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002257.htm

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK22/?depth=10

http://endo.endojournals.org/

http://www.mayoclinic.org/medicalprofs/glucocorticoid-induced-diabetes.html

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/steroids.html