HyperPTH and PUD

April 13, 2006 6:03 AM

The incidence of peptic ulcer disease in hyperparathyroidism is increased, presumably due to hypercalcemia leading to increased gastrin secretion. Why does calcium stimulate G-Cells to secrete calcium? I am trying to find a precide physiologic reason. Is there another reason for this link between HyperPTH and duodenal ulcers. Thanks!
posted by reverenddrjice to Science & Nature (6 answers total)

It sounds like you already know the technical jargon, so what about trying out Pubmed? Also, being a med student, there should be a professor down there who specializes in endocrinology whom you could ask (not trying to be snarky, but this is a fairly specialized questioned so might have better luck with known experts in the field).
posted by jmd82 at 6:53 AM on April 13, 2006

I agree with jmd82--find an endocrinologist at your school and ask him or her--likely there will be so much excitement that a student is interested in the field that he or she will be happy to try to answer it. Shows you're thinking.
posted by gramcracker at 6:58 AM on April 13, 2006

I would say the reverend is approaching finals and is blowing some steam off. There's no way anybody thinks this is going to get answered.

Also, the idea that G-cells secrete calcium is ridiculous.
posted by poppo at 7:04 AM on April 13, 2006

I can't quite come up with a direct link between increased Ca++ and gastrin release by G-cells... but gastrin release will stimulate HCl release by Parietal cells. Since Gastrin receptors on the Parietal cell work by increasing intracellular Ca which leads to increased cAMP (and that whole pathway), a significantly increased Ca level might cause a greater increase in intracellular Ca (by ionic driving force), and stimulate increased HCl release. And increased HCl release is clearly linked to PUD.

This is pretty roundabout, and I'm not 100% sure about what I've just said, but it sounds plausible to me. But Physio was last block, so who knows. :)

But I'm sure your teachers would be more than willing to answer your questions -- far more successfully than AskMe.
posted by ruwan at 8:08 AM on April 13, 2006

But I'm sure your teachers would be more than willing to answer your questions

...Unless this is a homework question, which it probably is.
posted by rxrfrx at 10:13 AM on April 13, 2006

I can only vaguely remember this from medical school, but google scholar seems to think there are a bunch of different reasons for peptic ulcer disease in hyperparathyroidism. I found this paper to be the most helpful:
http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/content/full/84/12/4554
posted by roofus at 5:23 PM on April 13, 2006