Read complete answer here. Hereof, what does the alpha cell do?
Alpha cells (more commonly alpha-cells or α-cells) are endocrine cells in the pancreatic islets of the pancreas. They make up to 20% of the human islet cells synthesizing and secreting the peptide hormone glucagon, which elevates the glucose levels in the blood.
Subsequently, question is, how do alpha cells detect glucose levels? The α-cell of the pancreatic islet modulates glucose homeostasis by secreting glucagon that acts primarily by driving hepatic glucose production. Glucose sensing of the α-cell becomes defective in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, resulting in hyperglucagonemia that likely contributes to hyperglycemia (1).
Beside this, what stimulates alpha cells?
The role of circulating epinephrine in the autonomic response to hypoglycemia is well established. Epinephrine directly stimulates glucagon secretion in normal human subjects, and stimulation of the autonomic sympathetic nervous system innervation to the pancreas elicits an increase in α cell secretion.
What stimulates alpha cells to glucagon?
Hypoglycaemia suppresses insulin secretion from β-cells and stimulates glucagon secretion from islet α-cells, normalizing blood glucose levels. Hormones secreted from pancreatic islet cells play central roles in the whole-body glucose homeostasis.
