What is the Liver?

This organ lies below the diaphragm and to the right of the stomach. It is the largest glandular organ in the body weighing over three pounds. It is a critical organ in all vertebrates that performs many complex and essential processes in the body like:

• Protein synthesis
• Production of bile for digestion of fats and fat soluble vitamins a, d, e, and k
• Detoxifying harmful toxins from the environment as well from drugs and alcohol
• Creates stores and processes fats, fatty acids, and cholesterol
• Metabolizes carbohydrates and stores them to use as sugar (glucose)
• Filters and protects the body from harmful biochemical bi-products of other processes of the body
• Processes old cells and proteins out of the body.

The liver also plays a big part in the endocrine system by producing (synthesizing) and releasing (secreting) hormones that help regulate cell growth and development, maintain blood pressure, and stimulates the production of blood platelets.

Hormones of the Liver

Insulin-like growth factor (IGF 1 and 2, or sematomedin): Produced in the hepatocyte cells and usually released by the Pituitaries release of the growth hormone. This hormone has a dramatic effect on the body, growth in general, and the development of organs like the brain, liver and kidneys. Although every cell in the body is effected by the Insulin-like growth hormone, muscles, cartilage, bone, liver, kidneys, nerves, skin, and lungs are mostly effected. Without IGF the body cannot reach it’s full growth potential and is carried in IGF binding proteins, this shell will both prevent the binding of the hormone to a receptor and increasing the life of the hormone so it can be delivered across the entire body. In a normal average adult IGF cells outnumber insulin by 600 to 1.

Angiotensinogen and Angiotensin (A renin substrate): Produced in the hepatocytes this hormone helps moderate blood pressure by causing the contraction of the muscular wall of blood vessels like arteries, arterioles, and veins, a process known as vasoconstriction. It will also encourage the release of aldosterone from the adrenal cortex that causes the re-absorption of sodium and water, and the secretion of potassium by the kidneys increasing blood volume.

Thrombopoietin (TPO): Produced in the parenchymal cells and sinusoidal endothelial cells (hepatocytes) this hormone directly effects the production of platelets (blood clotting cells) by stimulating the magakaryocytes (bone marrow cells that create platelets). The negative feedback (stopping the effect of the hormone) systems of this hormone are dramatically different than most hormones. TPO will bind to platelets by a mpl receptor (CD 110) and is destroyed. Opposed to most hormones negative feedback affects the hormone cell receptor, simply stopping the hormone from binding.