A premature and intracellular activation of digestive zymogens is thought to be responsible for the onset of pancreatitis. Because trypsin has a critical role in initiating the activation cascade of digestive enzymes in the gut, it has been assumed that trypsin also initiates intracellular zymogen activation in the pancreas. We have tested this hypothesis in isolated acini and lobules from rat ...

Primary sensory neurons of the C and Adelta subtypes express the vanilloid capsaicin receptor TRPV1 and contain proinflammatory peptides such as substance P (SP) that mediate neurogenic inflammation. Pancreatic injury stimulates these neurons causing the release of SP in the pancreas resulting in pancreatic edema and neutrophil infiltration that contributes to pancreatitis. Axons of primary sen...

At a certain level of stimulation of the enzymatic secretions of the pancreas utilizing duodenal hormones and caerulein in normal subjects, the hourly urinary amylase output increases beyond normal values. Under these conditions, the so-called evocative pancreatic function test becomes unusable for the diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis in the early stages.

The isolation of ribonucleic acid (RNA) suitable for gene expression studies is challenging in the pancreas, due to its high ribonuclease activity. This is even more complicated during pancreatitis, a condition associated with inflammation and fibrosis. Our aim was to implement a time-effective and reproducible protocol to isolate high quality RNA from specific pancreatic cell subtypes, in norm...

Amphibian skin represents an enormous store-house of biogenic amines and active peptides. So far four groups of peptides have been identified: (a) physalaemin-like peptides (physalaemin, phyllomedusin and uperolein) possessing an intense action on vascular and extravascular smooth muscle as well as a potent action on lachrymal and salivary glands. Physalaemin is the most potent hypotensive agen...

We have shown earlier that mouse pancreatic acinar cells produce hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S) and play a role in the pathogenesis of acute pancreatitis. It is noteworthy that recent evidence indicates that H(2)S has anti-inflammatory effects. To date, the mechanism by which H(2)S directly reduces inflammation has not been elucidated. In the present study, we hypothesized that H(2)S inhibits the pro...

CONTEXT Beta-site alpha-amyloid protein cleaving enzyme1 (BACE1) plays a key role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. Additional to its moderate expression in the brain, high levels of BACE1 mRNA were found in the pancreas. Murine Bace1 has been immunohistochemicaly detected at the apical pole of acinar cells within the exocrine pancreas of mice and Bace1 activity was observed in pancre...

Genomic and biochemical analyses reveal that two independently evolved serine protease venoms in mammals and lizards have converged on nearly identical protein structures. Likewise, in two groups of frog, an identical toxin, caerulein, has arisen repeatedly from unique genes in those lineages.