Study of Pancreatic Functions in Protein Energy Malnutrition In Children

Abstract

Protein energy malnutrition is a primary cause of morbidity and mortality and complicating factor for other illness and responsible for half of deaths under 5 years of age (Jeffrey Goldbagen, 1996 ).

Protein energy malnutrition has a profound effect on both the structure and function ofthe exocrine pancreas (Pitchumoni, 1973 ).

The pancreatic enzymes are diminished in P.E.M. The disappear sequentially with lipase the first to be affected followed by trypsin, chemotrypsin and amylase. (Peter et al., \985 ).

* P.E.M. produces glucose intolerance and reduced insulin release in response to increased blood glucose level (De-Mello et al., 1995).

Malnutrition is characterized by decreased fasting blood glucose level despite below normal insulin level (Heard, 1978).

P.E.M. is characterized by hypoglycemia and insulin resistance (Chhetri et al., 1980).

The glycemic response to glucagon in human malnutrition is also impaired (Milner, 1971 ).

It's reasonable to speculate that glucagon resistance may also exist in human chronic malnutrition (Kerr et al., 1979). In hroad terms, hepatic control of glucose production appear to be altered in malnutrition to make it less responsive to both insulin and glucagon by different mechanisms (Payene et al., 1992).