The Pancreas is a central organ in the digestion and metabolism of foodstuffs. Both exocrine and endocrine portions are controlled in large part by regulatory signals originating from the gut including, gastrointestinal hormones, the autonomic nervous system and absorbed nutrients. In addition, the pancreas has evolved a unique architecture with many small islets dispersed in exocrine tissue to facilitate interaction between the organs. Recently considerable new data has been obtained regarding control of the pancreas by the gut and islet-acinar interrelations. However, the two portions of the pancreas are generally separately studied by endocrinologists and gastroenterologists. This proposal requests funds to partially finance a workshop to bring together researchers in these areas to develop a better understanding of the pancreas as a unified organ. Coverage will focus on physiological control mechanisms at both the whole animal and cellular level and in humans as well as animals. The workshop will be held in Chicago immediately following the annual meeting of the American Pancreatic Association to facilitate attendance and minimize travel expenses. It is also planned to sponsor young investigators to attend and observe """"""""experts at work"""""""". The workshop is designed to include formal presentations, periods of group discussion with short presentations and individual interaction during meals and breaks. It can be expected that the workshop will accomplish a number of objectives. It will summarize current understanding of gut-pancreas interactions. Moreover, it should increase awareness among investigators, that controls of one portion of the pancreas also influence the other. It should help develop consensus in areas such as feedback control of the exocrine pancreas and physiological relevance of GI hormones to insulin release. Finally, the workshop should stimulate new effort in this field and develop new strategies for future research.
