No abstract available.
Exocytosis/physiology* ; Pancreas/secretion ; Pancreas/physiology* ; Pancreas/cytology*

No abstract available.
Animal ; Calcium Signaling/physiology* ; Exocytosis/physiology ; Pancreas/physiology* ; Pancreas/cytology

Male albino rats fed 8 or 25% casein as a source of protein (designated here as low and high protein diet) were exposed to cold(4-5 degrees C) or heat (36-38 degrees C) environment for 21 days. Another series of rats were exposed alternately between cold and hot environments every other day. The weight of the liver, pancreas, kidneys and testis were increased in rats exposed to the cold environment on both low and high protein regimen. Histologically the pancreatic section from cold and alternating temperature rats showed enlargement of the pancreatic acini, cellular hypertrophy and increase in zymogen granules. The weight of the spleen in hot environment and of pancreas in alternating environment were also increased in rats given high protein diet. In the rats exposed to cold, the volume of the biliary-pancreatic secretion was significantly increased, which may reflect the hypertrophy and weight increase of both liver ,and pancreas, however, the content of amylase and lipase were decreased and trypsin was little changed or increased in case of high protein regimen. In rats exposed to hot environment, in contrast, the amylase content of the juice was Increased in high protein regimen. Little change of pancreatic enzymes were seen in the alternating group. The serum protein of all experimental groups was elevated and the serum amylase was elevated only in rats exposed to the alternating environment. The mortality of rats fed low protein diet was 33.3% in both cold and alternating environments and 25.0% in the hot environment. The mortality of rats fed a high protein diet was lower than low protein regimen, and furthermore, none died in the alternating environment with the high protein regimen. The data indicate that exposure to either cold or hot environment bring about danger to life, and also functional and morphological alterations of digestive viscera. The increased organ weight and digestive secretion in cold environment is suggestive of pituitary-adrenal participation in cold adaptation while no such involovement is apparent in heat adaptation. The higher protein regimen demonstrated protective effect for either cold or hot environmental stress.
Animal ; Cold* ; Diet ; Environmental Exposure ; Heat* ; Male ; Organ Weight ; Pancreas/metabolism ; Pancreas/physiology* ; Rats

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is a key endoscopy skill used to diagnose and treat pancreatobiliary diseases. However, its diagnostic use is decreasing in favor of other less invasive methods such as magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography and endoscopic ultrasound. Alternatively, its use has become more important in the therapeutic area. ERCP trainees must know the anatomy and physiology of the pancreatobiliary system, several key basic skills, and complications of a successful procedure. This article briefly introduces basic ERCP knowledge, techniques, numbers necessary to achieve competency, and complications for new ERCP operators.
Biliary Tract ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde* ; Cholangiopancreatography, Magnetic Resonance ; Endoscopy* ; Pancreas ; Physiology ; Ultrasonography

OBJECTIVETo understand and improve the transdifferentiation of pancreatic stem cells into islet cells through isolation, cultivation and transdifferentiation of adult human pancreatic duct cells.

METHODSA portion of adult human pancreas was digested with collagenase, followed by incontinuous density gradient to separate islets from the acinar and ductal tissue. Duct epithelial cells were cultivated in CMRL1066 and then in serum-free DMEM/F12 medium with the addition of growth factors for 27 days. Samples were taken at different time points for light and electron microscopic examination and for immunocytochemical study with antibodies against transdifferentiation gene PDX-1 and protein CK-19. Amylase and insulin contents in the medium were assayed.

RESULTSA large number of duct epithelial cells were harvested after the isolation of islets. Some duct epithelial cells were PDX-1 and CK-19 positive at day one and duct epithelial cells proliferated and expanded rapidly and then transdifferentiated into stem cells and finally 3D islets. 760 islets were harvested from each gram of pancreatic tissue on day 27.

CONCLUSIONSAdult pancreatic duct cells are potential stem cells and could be transdifferentiated into islet cells in vitro under appropriate conditions.

Adult ; Cell Differentiation ; physiology ; Humans ; Islets of Langerhans ; cytology ; Pancreas ; cytology ; Stem Cells ; cytology

AIMTo know the effect of cysteamine on the pancreatic secretion and enzyme activity in geese.

METHODSEight adult geese fitted chronic pancreatic and duodenal cannulas were used to evaluate the effect of cysteamine (CS) on the pancreatic secretion and enzyme activity. The experiment was consist of control and treated phase. CS was added in the diet at the dosage of 100 mg/kg bw on the first day of treated phase. The birds were free fed at daytime (8:00-20:00) and fasted at nighttime (20:00-8:00). The pancreatic juice samples were collected continuously for three days in each phase.

RESULTSCS increased the average rate of pancreatic secretion by 240.16% (P < 0.01), in which that of daytime was elevated by 234.45% (P < 0.01), while that of nighttime elevated by 253.70% (P < 0.01). The secretion volume at daytime was more than that of night. CS increased trypsin activity by 49.05% (P < 0.01), whereas lipase and amylase activity was reduced by 25.44% (P < 0.01) and 21.95% (P < 0.01) separately. The one hour total activity of trypsin, lipase and amylase were elevated by 406.88% (P < 0.01), 153.58% (P < 0.01) and 166.59% (P < 0.01) respectively. Ratios of pancreatic secretion were different between day and night.

CONCLUSIONThese results indicate that CS can affect the pancreatic juice secretion and pancreatic enzyme activity by depleting the somatostatin, so that benefits to improve the digestive foundation and supply more nutrition for quickly growing in geese.

Animals ; Cysteamine ; pharmacology ; Geese ; physiology ; Pancreas ; drug effects ; enzymology ; secretion ; Pancreatic Juice ; secretion ; Pancreatin ; metabolism

In pancreatic acinar cells Ca(2+)-dependent secretagogues promote the fusion of zymogen granules (ZG) with the apical plasma membrane (PM) and exocytosis of digestive enzymes. In addition to exocytotic fusion complexes between SNARE proteins in the ZG membrane (ZGM) and the apical PM, enzyme secretion elicited by Ca(2+)-dependent secretagogues requires cytosolic Cl and K+ and is inhibited by blockers of Cl- and K+-channels. We have identified a Cl-conductance activated by ATP, and a K+-conductance (with properties similar to ATP-sensitive K+-channels), regulated by the granule matrix protein Zg-16p in the ZGM. Both conductances are inversely regulated by a 65-kD mdr1 gene product. We have also identified a novel Ca(2+)-activated anion conductance in ZGM, the Ca(2+)-sensitivity of which increases 50-fold when Cl is replaced by 1. This conductance is blocked by micromolar H2-DIDS or DTT, reminiscent of a family of epithelial Ca(2+)-activated Cl -channels (CaCC). Expression of a CaCC in exocrine pancreas has been confirmed by RT-PCR analysis, and by immunoblotting and immunogold labeling of ZG membranes. These data suggest that ion channels in the ZGM are essential elements in pancreatic exocytosis.
Animal ; Chloride Channels/metabolism* ; Chloride Channels/genetics ; Exocytosis/physiology* ; Gene Expression/physiology ; P-Glycoprotein/metabolism ; P-Glycoprotein/genetics ; Pancreas/secretion* ; Pancreas/cytology ; Potassium Channels/metabolism* ; Potassium Channels/genetics ; Secretory Vesicles/secretion ; Secretory Vesicles/metabolism* ; Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

No abstract available.
Calcium Channels/metabolism* ; Calcium Signaling/physiology* ; Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases/metabolism* ; Pancreas/enzymology* ; Periodicity ; Phosphorylation ; Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear/metabolism*

BACKGROUNDType II diabetes mellitus usually related to visceral and other organ (ectopic) fat. The purpose of this study was to detect hepatic and pancreatic fat infiltration in type II diabetes mellitus patients using 3.0T magnetic resonance (MR) and to compare the performance of iterative decomposition of water and fat with echo asymmetry and least-squares estimation (IDEAL-Quant) with single-voxel proton spectroscopy (H(1)-MRS).

METHODSThe study protocol was approved by our Institutional Review Board. Written informed consent was obtained from each subject in this study. We prospectively performed IDEAL-Quant and single-voxel proton spectroscopy with an echo time of 35 ms on 24 type II diabetes patients and 10 healthy volunteers. The hepatic proton density fat fraction (HPDFF) and pancreatic proton density fat fraction (PPDFF) were calculated, compared, and analyzed by t-tests and Spearman's correlation.

RESULTSThe HPDFF and PPDFF measured with IDEAL-Quant were significantly different between the healthy volunteers and type II diabetes patients (th = 9.377, P = 0.000; tp = 2.813, P = 0.008). The HPDFF and PPDFF measured with MRS were also significantly different between the healthy volunteers and type II diabetes patients (th = 5.342, P = 0.000; tp = 2.63, P = 0.013). The HPDFF and PPDFF measured by the two methods were in good agreement (rh = 0.854, P = 0.000; rp = 0.774, P = 0.000). The HPDFF and PPDFF were not significantly correlated with each other (rMRS = 0.203, p = 0.248; rIDEAL-Quant = 0.301, P = 0.084). The PPDFF measured with IDEAL-Quant was associated with body mass index (r = 0.377, P = 0.028).

CONCLUSIONIDEAL-Quant is a nice method for hepatic and pancreatic fat detection, and it can be applied in clinical practice.

Adult ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Lipid Metabolism ; physiology ; Liver ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pancreas ; metabolism ; Prospective Studies

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of Ca(2+) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced NF-kappa B activation in pancreatic acinar cells and the role of NF-kappa B in LPS-induced acinar cell injury.

METHODSMale rat pancreatic acinar cells were isolated by collagenase digestion, then exposed to varying concentrations of LPS (from 1 to 20 mg/L) in the presence or absence of EGTA. At various time points (30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, 4 hours and 10 hours) after treatment with the agents, cell viability was determined by MTT. Nuclear translocation of NF-kappa B's subunit p65 was visualized by immunofluorescence staining and nuclei protein was extracted to perform EMSA which was used to assay the activity of NF-kappa B binding to the DNA sequence containing the recognition site of NF-kappa B.

RESULTSLPS induced cell damage in a time- and concentration-dependent manner while EGTA attenuated LPS-induced cell damage (P < 0.05). NF-kappa B p65 immunofluorescence staining had increased intensity in the cytoplasm and indicated that nuclear translocation occurred within 30 minutes and its zenith was reached at 1 hour after LPS (10 mg/L) treatment. Testing of NF-kappa B DNA binding activity showed the same alteration phase as p65 immunofluorescence staining. NF-kappa B activation preceded the pathological alteration of pancreatic acinar cells. The Ca(2+) chelator EGTA inhibited LPS-induced NF-kappa B activation.

CONCLUSIONSNF-kappa B activation is an important early event in LPS-induced injury to pancreatic acinar cells. Ca(2+) is an important mediator in the process of LPS-induced NF-kappa B activation.

Animals ; Calcium ; pharmacology ; Lipopolysaccharides ; pharmacology ; Male ; NF-kappa B ; physiology ; Pancreas ; cytology ; drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley