BACKGROUND & AIMS There have been conflicting results on a cell of origin in pancreatic regeneration. These discrepancies predominantly stem from lack of specific markers for the pancreatic precursors/stem cells, as well as differences in the targeted cells and severity of tissue injury in the experimental models so far proposed. We attempted to create a model that used diphtheria toxin recepto...

Biliary pancreatitis is the most common etiology for acute pancreatitis, yet its pathophysiological mechanism remains unclear. Ca(2+) signals generated within the pancreatic acinar cell initiate the early phase of pancreatitis, and bile acids can elicit anomalous acinar cell intracellular Ca(2+) release. We previously demonstrated that Ca(2+) released via the intracellular Ca(2+) channel, the r...

Explants from 12- to 14-week-old human fetal pancreases were organ cultured in a chemically defined medium and cultured for up to 12 months in the presence or absence of methylnitrosourea (MNU). Differentiation of the exocrine pancreas occurred in vitro, and explants cultured in the absence of MNU for 4 weeks or longer revealed normal acinar structures with zymogen granules. Ducts and ductules ...

Neutrophil infiltration into the pancreas is a key event in pancreatitis. Here we show that intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), which regulates neutrophil adhesion, is present on rat pancreatic acinar cells, is upregulated by a hormone (cerulein) and mediates direct binding of neutrophils to acinar cells. ICAM-1 was upregulated in pancreas of rats with experimental pancreatitis induced ...

Pancreatic acinar cells express keratins 8 and 18 (K8/18), which form cytoplasmic filament (CF) and apicolateral filament (ALF) pools. Hepatocyte K8/18 CF provide important protection from environmental stresses, but disruption of acinar cell CF has no significant impact. We asked whether acinar cell ALF are important in providing cytoprotective roles by studying keratin filaments in pancreata ...

It has been established that pancreatic exocrine acinar cells disappear after pancreatic duct obstruction. This study aimed to examine the relationship between the disappearance of the acinar cells and apoptosis after pancreatic duct ligation of the splenic lobe in dd-mice, six weeks of age. In some mice, the ligature was removed after two or three days. In addition to general light and electro...

Expiants from 12to 14-week-old human fetal pancreases were organ cultured in a chemically defined medium and cultured for up to 12 months in the presence or absence of methylnitrosourea (MNU). Differentiation of the exocrine pancreas occurred in vitro, and expiants cultured in the absence of MNU for 4 weeks or longer revealed normal acinar structures with zymogen gran ules. Ducts and ductules a...

Acinar cell carcinoma of the pancreas is an uncommon malignancy for which there are no prospective, randomized data to guide therapy. We describe the clinical course and management of a patient with advanced pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma who is alive seven years after diagnosis using systemic and regional chemotherapies as well as molecularly targeted agents.

Pancreatic acinar cells possess very high protein synthetic rates as they need to produce and secrete large amounts of digestive enzymes. Acinar cell damage and dysfunction cause malnutrition and pancreatitis, and inflammation of the exocrine pancreas that promotes development of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), a deadly pancreatic neoplasm. The cellular and molecular mechanisms that ma...