Autophagy in Pancreatic Acinar Cells in Caerulein-treated Mice

Alcohols enhance caerulein-induced zymogen activation in pancreatic acinar cells.

Activation of zymogens within the pancreatic acinar cell is an early feature of acute pancreatitis. Supraphysiological concentrations of cholecystokinin (CCK) cause zymogen activation and pancreatitis. The effects of the CCK analog, caerulein, and alcohol on trypsin and chymotrypsin activation in isolated pancreatic acini were examined. Caerulein increased markers of zymogen activation in a tim...

Trisphosphate in Pancreatic Acinar Cells

The mechanisms of agonist-induced Ca 2 1 spikes have been investigated using a caged inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP 3 ) and a low-affinity Ca 2 1 indicator, BTC, in pancreatic acinar cells. Rapid photolysis of caged IP 3 was able to reproduce acetylcholine (ACh)induced three forms of Ca 2 1 spikes: local Ca 2 1 spikes and submicromolar ( , 1 m M) and micromolar (1–15 m M) global Ca 2 1 spikes...

Pancreatic Acinar Cells

Laser Capture Microdissection of Pancreatic Acinar Cells to Identify Proteomic Alterations in a Murine Model of Caerulein-Induced Pancreatitis

OBJECTIVES Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is characterized by inflammation and fibrosis of the pancreas, leading to pain, parenchymal damage, and loss of exocrine and endocrine function. There are currently no curative therapies; diagnosis remains difficult and aspects of pathogenesis remain unclear. Thus, there is a need to identify novel biomarkers to improve diagnosis and understand pathophysiolo...

The Novel Protein Kinase C Isoforms -δ and -ε Modulate Caerulein-induced Zymogen Activation in Pancreatic Acinar Cells

Isoforms of protein kinase C (PKC) have been shown to modulate some cellular responses such as pathologic secretion and generation of inflammatory mediators during acute pancreatitis (AP). We propose that PKC also participates in premature zymogen activation within the pancreatic acinar cell, a key event in the initiation of AP. This hypothesis was examined in in vivo and cellular models of cae...