Secretin human

Human secretin is a gastrointestinal peptide hormone that regulates secretions in the stomach, pancreas, and liver. The hormone is produced from the enterochromaffin cells in the duodenum in response to the duodenal content with the pH less than 4.5 . The main action of secretin is to stimulate the pancreas to secrete pancreatic juice for pH regulation in the small intestines. Secretin is also responsible in body fluid homeostasis and bile production. Although it is a gastrointestinal hormone, secretin is also considered as a neuropeptide hormone since it is also expressed in the central nervous system .

Purified synthetic human secretin, also referred to as RG1068, is available as an intravenous injection under the market name ChiRhoStim ® in the U.S.. It contains an amino acid sequence identical to the naturally occurring hormone consisting of 27 amino acids that supports α-helical formation . The carboxyl-terminal amino acid, valine, is amidated. Synthetic human secretin displays equivalent biological activity and properties as naturally-occurring secretin . It is indicated for the stimulation of the pancreatic and gastric secretions to aid in the diagnosis of pancreatic exocrine dysfunction and the diagnosis of gastrinoma, and facilitate the identification of the ampulla of Vater and accessory papilla during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP).