Tag: Dr. Norris

Pancreatic islets are the cells that produce insulin and glucagon, and are otherwise known as the endocrine pancreas. The islets are surrounded by the exocrine pancreas. The exocrine pancreas is a gland that creates digestive juices for the intestine. It has long been postulated that the exocrine pancreas cells help support the function and existence of the islets. The corollary is that a diseased exocrine pancreas might have negative influence on islet function. This postulated biology may be at play in cystic fibrosis related diabetes (CFRD), a unique form of diabetes that afflicts many persons who have cystic fibrosis. To test this possibility, researchers at the University of Iowa have studied exocrine pancreas cells grown in cell culture from ferrets with and without cystic fibrosis. The researchers found that the exocrine cells affected by cystic fibrosis secrete different proteins than the healthy cells. Furthermore, some of the differences are expected to impact islet function. The results were published in the Journal of Cystic Fibrosis. Dr. Norris from our division was one of the study authors, along with other scientists.

Pancreatitis often leads to hyperglycemia. However, there have been major limitations in understanding the involved pathophysiology. Several collaborators at the University of Iowa have now created a model to help understand the process. The research team found that cerulein injections led to pancretitis with elevated amylase and lipase. Acute accompanied the acute pancreatitis, with both impaired insulin levels and evidence of insulin resistance. Glucose tolerance normalized by 3 months. The research team included our Dr. Andrew Norris, but also pediatric gastroenterologist Aliye Uc and researchers and faculty from the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology.

Our division director has contributed to new scientific work that has been published in Cell Metabolism showing that exposure to generated electromagnetic fields lowers blood sugar in rodents with type 2 diabetes. Dr. Norris helped design and interpret the glycemic clamp studies that were used to better understand the physiological mechanisms involved in the phenomenon. (Pubmed link; DOI link).

Fascinatingly, the pancreas is really two organs mixed together. The exocrine part of the pancreas produces digestive enzymes that are secreted into the small intestine. The endocrine part of the pancreas makes insulin and glucose, which are secreted into the blood stream. The endocrine parts of the pancreas are scattered like islands within the exocrine part. Although the function of endocrine part of the pancreas has long been considered to be fairly independent of the exocrine, it is increasingly being recognized that the health of the exocrine pancreas influences the endocrine portion. Our division director, Dr. Norris, just helped author a review article on this topic. The work was just published in the journal Diabetologia, which is the leading diabetes research journal published in Europe. The article reviews how diseases of the exocrine pancreas can lead to defects in insulin production and diabetes. (Pubmed link, DOI link)