Secretin: historical perspective and current status.

Abstract

This review describes the history of secretin discovery, identification, purification, and structural determination; cloning of secretin and its receptor; synthetic secretin; and highly specific and sensitive radioimmunoassay to define the characteristic physiological role on postprandial pancreatic fluid and bicarbonate secretion, which requires robust potentiation by cholecystokinin. Secretin plays a key role in the negative and positive regulatory mechanisms of exocrine pancreatic secretion. Secretin-releasing peptides were discovered in duodenal acid perfusates of both rat and dog and in canine pancreatic juice. The release and action of secretin and secretin-releasing peptides are in part mediated via vagovagal reflex mechanism involving afferent sensory neurons in proximal intestine and efferent cholinergic neurons in the pancreas. Besides acetylcholine, many neurotransmitters or neuromodulators influence release and action of secretin. The action of secretin in the pancreas depends on insulin, which also suppresses local release of somatostatin and pancreatic polypeptide. Thus, release and action of secretin are mediated via neurohormonal interaction. Clinical conditions with hypersecretinemia and hyposecretinemia are discussed. Synthetic human secretin is used for studies of exocrine pancreatic secretion, secretin-enhanced magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography combined with exocrine pancreatic function test and diagnosis of gastrinoma syndrome. Therapeutic use of secretin is considered for the relief of severe pain in chronic pancreatitis.

• Authors: William Y Chey, Ta-Min Chang
• Journal: Pancreas (Pancreas) Vol. 43 Issue 2 Pg. 162-82 (Mar 2014) ISSN: 1536-4828 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 24518494 (Publication Type: Biography, Historical Article, Journal Article, Portrait, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Review)

Chemical References

• secretin releasing peptide
• Secretin

Topics

• Animals
• Dogs
• Drug Discovery (history)
• History, 20th Century
• History, 21st Century
• Humans
• Pancreas (drug effects, metabolism)
• Pancreatic Juice (metabolism)
• Rats
• Secretin (history, metabolism, pharmacology)