Hormones are chemicals produced by the body that can have many effects on multiple tissues throughout the body. As a result, many medications have been designed that mimic the effects of these naturally produced hormones. One example, octreotide,...
Growth is regulated by the endocrine system of the body--a control network of hormones secreted by glands in the body. The function of the endocrine system is to integrate the actions of the body's organs. These hormones regulate nearly every...
Hypochlorhydria is the medical term used to describe an abnormally low level of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. This condition can be the result of a variety of diseases. It can be caused by an autoimmune disease that attacks the stomach cells...
A somatostatinoma is a cancerous tumor that usually grows on the pancreas or the small intestine. It produces large amounts of a natural chemical known as somatostatin. This chemical acts as a neurotransmitter and slows down certain actions in...
The pituitary gland is a bean shaped, hormone secreting gland found at the base of the brain. It produces some hormones and regulates the production of hormones by other endocrine-- hormone producing-- glands. The hormones produced by the...
Arginine is an amino acid supplement that is marketed to increase natural human growth hormone, or HGH, production. HGH is naturally released by your anterior pituitary gland in your brain and has a wide range of effects throughout your body. Talk...
Glucose is the primary source of energy for the body. In fact, it is normally the only fuel used by the brain’s nerve cells, called neurons. Neurons can’t store glucose for back-up energy, so a constant supply must be available in the blood....
Blood glucose is a term that describes the amount of sugar, or glucose, that enters your bloodstream from the various foods in your diet. Persistent high levels of glucose in your blood can expose you to serious health risks from a condition...
Gastrin is not directly present in the diet, but dietary protein intake is a factor in triggering the production of gastrin, which stimulates gastric acid secretion. Gastrin, a hormone, induces specialized parietal cells in the lining of the...
The pituitary gland, a pea-sized gland at the base of the brain, controls the release of growth hormone into the body. If too much growth hormone is released, usually because of a noncancerous tumor in the pituitary, abnormal bone growth occurs,...
Liver cirrhosis occurs when normal cells and tissues of the liver are replaced by fibrous scar tissue. Common causes include viral infections and alcohol abuse. Liver cirrhosis is associated with a number of complications including pulmonary...
Growth hormone is a protein hormone released from the pituitary gland that plays a vital role in growth and metabolism. Besides increasing strength and size, growth hormone also boosts fat loss by removing fat from fat cells and making it...
The pancreas is a glandular organ that is often depicted in medical texts as a feather-shaped organ. The head of the pancreas attaches to the duodenum portion of the small intestine, and the tail tapers featherlike along the bottom of the stomach....
Cluster headaches occur in bouts of intensely painful daily headaches for weeks at a time, followed by months of remission in which the headaches totally subside. During a cluster headache, acutely acting treatments can shorten its duration and...
The pituitary gland lies behind the nose deep within the brain and secretes hormones that regulate other hormone-producing glands such as the testes, adrenals, breasts, ovaries, thyroid and kidneys. Pituitary tumors can occur in both males and...
Before any other treatments are tried, your doctor will probably want to do an endoscopy. An endoscope is a thin, plastic tube that gets placed into your mouth, down your esophagus and into your stomach. This allows your doctor to determine the...
Cortisol is a glucocorticoid, or a corticosteroid hormone, produced by the adrenal glands in response to the production of adrenocortiotropic hormone (ACTH) in the pituitary gland. Cortisol is essential for the regulation of many physiological...
Human growth hormone is a protein hormone that is released by the anterior pituitary gland. It is responsible for numerous functions in the body, including boosting muscle mass and removing fatty acids from fat cells. Although growth hormone can...
The pancreas is an organ, located in the abdomen, which produces and secretes several hormones and digestive enzymes, including an enzyme called lipase that is necessary to break down fats to free fatty acids. A disease called cystic fibrosis...
Arginine and ornithine are two amino acids, the building blocks of proteins -- both the ones you eat and the ones your cells build for functional and structural purposes. There's only a small amount of evidence linking arginine -- and ornithine in...
A wide variety of supplements is available on the market that promise to help you put on muscle overall, or in specific places -- for example, the biceps muscles. While there is some research that suggests arginine may have roles in increasing...
Insulin, a protein hormone secreted by the pancreas, promotes the entry of glucose into tissues as the body's primary energy source. Insulin encourages the liver to store glucose as glycogen, a form of starch. The result of insulin production...
A diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is usually first suggested by certain symptoms. One common symptom of cancer of the pancreas is jaundice, which causes yellowing of the skin and of the whites of the eyes, as well as darkening of the urine....
Somatotropin, more commonly known as "growth hormone," stimulates cell production and growth in humans and animals. In addition to affecting the growth of physical structures, it also increases metabolism. A very complex system involving the...
Ascites, which is accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity, normally consists of clear fluid. Chylous ascites, which has a milky appearance, is caused by blockage or rupture of lymph glands and vessels around the abdominal cavity, resulting...
Growth hormone is produced in your body and aids in growth and maintenance of your tissues and organs. The production of this hormone decreases as you age. According to MayoClinic.com, synthetic human growth hormone, or HGH, is now gaining...
Gastrinoma, known more commonly as Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome, is a condition in which your small intestine produce excess amounts of the hormone gastrin. This is caused by the development of tumors called gastrinomas in the pancreas or small...
Cluster headaches cause sudden, severe pain on one side of the head. The pain typically lasts for about 30 to 45 minutes. During a headache period, the patient experiences one to four headaches a day for several weeks or months, according to the...
Human growth hormone, or HGH, promotes development and regeneration. Many children and adults with growth hormone deficiency may benefit from HGH intake without experiencing negative side effects. These people can, for example, use HGH to lower...
