Basic Types of Hormones in Pancreatic Cells

Endocrine islet cells produce large amounts of hormones (Fig. 1), the majority of them being physiologicaly afunctional. Many of them are produced in endocrine cells of other organs, participate in hormonal as well as in paracrine regulations and may regulate secretion of intrinsic pancreatic hormones. This group includes gastrointestinal hormones, such as glucose-dependent insulinotrophic peptide (GIP) or glucagon-like insulinotrophic peptide-1 (GLP-1), participating in the “incretine effect” of insulin secretion. The four hormones produced in the basic four types of pancreatic cells are of predominant physiological significance.