Gastrin
Gastrin is a hormone produced in the human body. It is secreted by the G cells in the stomach. Gastrin is considered a peptide hormone.
Secretion and Production
Gastrin is produced in and secreted from the G cells in the stomach. Secretion of gastrin is caused by several factors: stomach distention, vagal stimulation, and the presence of partially digested proteins, especially amino acids and hypercalcaemia. When food enters the stomach, the wall of its pyloric end (the area where the stomach meets the small intestine) releases gastrin. Gastric promotes the flow of stomach acid from the gastric glands in the stomach. Gastrin’s main purpose is to aid in digestion.
While synthetic gastrin is available, there is currently no known medical use for it as a drug in humans. Rather, most research that is conducted in relation to gastrin is in search of a means of inhibiting gastrin production in patients with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome — a disease where excesses of gastrin are produced by a benign tumor in the antrum or pancreas.