A major goal of mineral nutrition research is to provide information of feed zinc (Zn) utilization efficiency and gross Zn requirements as affected by changing rearing conditions. This can be achieved only by applying precise experimental models that acknowledge the basic principles of Zn metabolism. This review article summarizes the most important aspects of Zn homeostasis in monogastric species, including molecular aspects of Zn acquisition and excretion. Special emphasis is given to the role of the skeleton as well as the exocrine pancreas for animal Zn metabolism. Finally, we discuss consequences arising from these physiological principles for the experimental design of trials which aim to address questions of Zn requirements and bioavailability.
Animal Feed ; Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena ; Animals ; Biological Availability ; Diet ; Genotype ; Homeostasis ; Humans ; Minerals/metabolism* ; Pancreas, Exocrine/metabolism* ; Trace Elements ; Zinc/metabolism*

Recent findings indicate that Type 2 taste receptors (T2Rs) are expressed outside the gustatory system, including in the gastrointestinal tracts and the exocrine glands, such as the submandibular (SM), parotid (P), lacrimal (L) glands and pancreas (PC). Specifically, T2Rs are found in some of the gastrointestinal endocrine cells, and these cells secreted peptide hormones in response to stimulation by bitter-tasting compounds. The results show that T2Rs may have significant physiological roles besides bitter taste reception. The functions of the T2Rs in the exocrine glands remain poorly understood. An expression levels analysis of T2Rs will help to determine those functions in the exocrine glands. The expression levels of the T2Rs in the exocrine glands were discovered via the qPCR. C57BL/6J mice of 42~60-day-old were used. Messenger RNAs were extracted from S, P, L and PC. Cloned DNAs were synthesized by reverse transcription. Quantitative PCRs were performed using the SYBR Green method. The expression levels of the T2Rs were calculated as relative expression levels to that of the GAPDH. The statistical significance among the observed exocrine glands was tested using the variance analysis (ANOVA test). Tas2r108, out of murine 35 T2Rs, was the most highly expressed in every observed exocrine gland. This finding was similar to previous results from tongue papillae, but the expression levels were lower than those of the tongue papillae. Tas2r137 of SM, P, L and PC were expressed a little lower than that of tongue papillae. The T2Rs in the exocrine glands may play slightly different roles from those in the tongue. We suggest that physiological studies such as a patch clamp and functional Ca²⁺ imaging of acinar cells are necessary for understanding the Tas2r108 functions.
Acinar Cells ; Animals ; Clone Cells ; DNA ; Enteroendocrine Cells ; Exocrine Glands ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Methods ; Mice ; Pancreas ; Peptide Hormones ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Reverse Transcription ; RNA, Messenger ; Tongue

PURPOSE: Pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma (ACC) is a rare cancer of the exocrine pancreas. Because of its rare incidence, the efficacy of chemotherapy in this patient population has been largely unknown. Therefore, we retrospectively analyzed the outcomes of patients with advanced pancreatic ACC who received chemotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between January 1997 and March 2015, 15 patients with unresectable or metastatic pancreatic ACC who received systemic chemotherapy were identified in Asan Medical Center, Korea. RESULTS: The median age was 58 years. Eleven and four patients had recurrent/metastatic and locally advanced unresectable disease. The median overall survival in all patients was 20.9 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 15.7 to 26.1). As first-line therapy, intravenous 5-fluorouracil were administered in four patients (27%), gemcitabine in five (33%), gemcitabine plus capecitabine in two (13%), oxaliplatin plus 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin (FOLFOX) in two (13%), and concurrent chemoradiotherapy followed by capecitabine maintenance therapy in two (13%). The objective response rate (ORR) to chemotherapy alone was 23% and the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 5.6 months (95% CI, 2.8 to 8.4). After progression, second-line chemotherapy was administered in eight patients, while four patients received FOLFOX and the other four patients received gemcitabine. The ORR was 38%, and patients administered FOLFOX had significantly better PFS than those administered gemcitabine (median, 6.5 months vs. 1.4 months; p=0.007). The ratio of time to tumor progression (TTP) during first-line chemotherapy to TTP at second-line chemotherapy was significantly higher in patients administered FOLFOX (4.07; range, 0.87 to 8.30) than in those administered gemcitabine (0.12; range, 0.08 to 0.25; p=0.029). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that oxaliplatin-containing regimens may have improved activity against pancreatic ACC.
Acinar Cells* ; Antineoplastic Agents ; Capecitabine ; Carcinoma, Acinar Cell* ; Chemoradiotherapy ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Disease-Free Survival ; Drug Therapy* ; Fluorouracil ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Pancreas, Exocrine ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: Pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma (ACC) is a rare cancer of the exocrine pancreas. Because of its rare incidence, the efficacy of chemotherapy in this patient population has been largely unknown. Therefore, we retrospectively analyzed the outcomes of patients with advanced pancreatic ACC who received chemotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between January 1997 and March 2015, 15 patients with unresectable or metastatic pancreatic ACC who received systemic chemotherapy were identified in Asan Medical Center, Korea. RESULTS: The median age was 58 years. Eleven and four patients had recurrent/metastatic and locally advanced unresectable disease. The median overall survival in all patients was 20.9 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 15.7 to 26.1). As first-line therapy, intravenous 5-fluorouracil were administered in four patients (27%), gemcitabine in five (33%), gemcitabine plus capecitabine in two (13%), oxaliplatin plus 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin (FOLFOX) in two (13%), and concurrent chemoradiotherapy followed by capecitabine maintenance therapy in two (13%). The objective response rate (ORR) to chemotherapy alone was 23% and the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 5.6 months (95% CI, 2.8 to 8.4). After progression, second-line chemotherapy was administered in eight patients, while four patients received FOLFOX and the other four patients received gemcitabine. The ORR was 38%, and patients administered FOLFOX had significantly better PFS than those administered gemcitabine (median, 6.5 months vs. 1.4 months; p=0.007). The ratio of time to tumor progression (TTP) during first-line chemotherapy to TTP at second-line chemotherapy was significantly higher in patients administered FOLFOX (4.07; range, 0.87 to 8.30) than in those administered gemcitabine (0.12; range, 0.08 to 0.25; p=0.029). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that oxaliplatin-containing regimens may have improved activity against pancreatic ACC.
Acinar Cells* ; Antineoplastic Agents ; Capecitabine ; Carcinoma, Acinar Cell* ; Chemoradiotherapy ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Disease-Free Survival ; Drug Therapy* ; Fluorouracil ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Pancreas, Exocrine ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; Retrospective Studies

Diabetes can develop as a direct consequence of diseases of the exocrine pancreas. Diabetes due to diseases of the exocrine pancreas is described as pancreatogenic diabetes or type 3c diabetes. Pancreatogenic diabetes is not commonly recognized by clinicians and is frequently misclassified as type 1 diabetes or, more commonly, type 2 diabetes. The prevalence and clinical importance of pancreatogenic diabetes have been underestimated and underappreciated. Pancreatogenic diabetes has a unique pattern of hormonal and metabolic characteristics. The failure to correctly diagnose pancreatogenic diabetes leads to failure to implement an appropriate medical therapy in these patients. We will review the clinical implications and relevance of pancreatogenic diabetes.
Diabetes Mellitus ; Humans ; Pancreas ; Pancreas, Exocrine ; Prevalence

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To determine the nutritional markers important for assessing the degree of pancreatic insufficiency due to chronic pancreatitis in routine clinical practice. METHODS: A total of 137 patients with chronic pancreatitis were followed up for more than 1 year. They were divided into two groups: a pancreatic diabetes mellitus (DM) group, consisting of 47 patients undergoing medical treatment for DM of pancreatic origin, and a nonpancreatic DM group, consisting of 90 other patients (including 86 patients without DM). Serum albumin, prealbumin, total cholesterol, cholinesterase, magnesium, and hemoglobin were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The total cholesterol was significantly lower in the pancreatic than the nonpancreatic DM group (164 mg/dL vs 183 mg/dL, respectively; p=0.0028). Cholinesterase was significantly lower in the former group (263 U/L vs 291 U/L, respectively; p=0.016). Among the 37 patients with nonalcoholic pancreatitis, there was no difference in the cholinesterase levels between the pancreatic and nonpancreatic (296 U/L vs 304 U/L, respectively; p=0.752) DM groups, although cholesterol levels remained lower in the former (165 mg/dL vs 187 mg/dL, respectively; p=0.052). CONCLUSIONS: Cholinesterase levels are possibly affected by concomitant alcoholic liver injury. The total cholesterol level should be considered when assessing pancreatic insufficiency due to chronic pancreatitis.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Cholesterol/*blood ; Cholinesterases/blood ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/complications ; Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency/*blood/etiology ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic/blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nutritional Status ; Pancreas/enzymology ; Pancreatitis, Alcoholic/blood/complications ; Pancreatitis, Chronic/blood/*complications ; Serum Albumin/analysis

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) is an autosomal dominant hereditary disorder characterized by the combined occurrence of tumors of the parathyroid gland, exocrine pancreas, and anterior pituitary gland. Calcitonin-secreting pancreatic endocrine tumors are rare, and calcitonin-secreting pancreatic endocrine tumors with MEN1 have not been reported in Korea. A 46-year-old woman was admitted for a right breast cancer operation. Abnormal blood chemistry findings were hypercalcemia and elevated calcitonin. The patient was diagnosed with a calcitonin-secreting pancreatic endocrine tumor, left thyroid papillary carcinoma, right breast invasive ductal carcinoma, a thymic carcinoid tumor, left adrenal adenoma, uterine myoma, and adenomyosis by computed tomography scan, and with pituitary macroadenoma by brain magnetic resonance imaging. We present this case with a review of the literature, because it is the first reported calcitonin-secreting pancreatic endocrine tumor with MEN 1 in Korea.
Adenoma ; Adenomyosis ; Brain ; Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Calcitonin ; Carcinoid Tumor ; Carcinoma, Ductal ; Carcinoma, Papillary ; Female ; Humans ; Hypercalcemia ; Korea ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia ; Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1 ; Myoma ; Pancreas, Exocrine ; Parathyroid Glands ; Pituitary Gland, Anterior ; Thyroid Gland

Undifferentiated carcinoma with osteoclast-like giant cells is a rare neoplasm of the exocrine pancreas. Some similar cases have been reported, but the histogenesis of these tumors varies and is controversial. We report here on a case of undifferentiated carcinoma of the pancreas with osteoclast-like giant cells. A 77-year old woman presented with abdominal pain and anorexia. Abdominal computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed an approximately 10 x 5 cm highly attenuated mass arising from the tail of the pancreas and invading the spleen and adjacent bowel loop. The initial impression was a malignant endocrine tumor or solid-pseudopapillary tumor of the pancreas. The patient underwent a distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy and left hemicolectomy. The histopathology and immunohistochemistry helped make the diagnosis that of an undifferentiated carcinoma with osteoclast-like giant cells of the pancreas.
Abdominal Pain ; Anorexia ; Carcinoma ; Female ; Giant Cells ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Pancreas ; Pancreas, Exocrine ; Pancreatectomy ; Spleen ; Splenectomy

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of resveratrol on the apoptosis of pancreatic acinar cells in rats with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) and explore the mechanism of such effect.

METHODSD rats with 3.5% sodium taurocholate-induced SAP were treated with resveratrol, and the serum amylase was detected with automatic biochemistry analyzer. The apoptosis of the pancreatic acinar cells in the rats was detected by TUNEL assay, and the expression of Fas and FasL genes was determined by RT-PCR and Western blotting. The pathological changes of the pancreas were observed under optical microscope.

RESULTSCompared with SAP group, the resveratrol-treated rats showed obviously decreased serum amylase and scores for pancreatic histopathological lesions. Resveratrol treatment significantly increased the apoptotic indices of pancreatic acinar cells and the levels of FasL mRNA and protein in rats with SAP.

CONCLUSIONResveratrol produces important therapeutic effect on SAP in rats by inducing pancreatic acinar cell apoptosis possibly as a result of up-regulated FasL gene expression.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Fas Ligand Protein ; drug effects ; genetics ; metabolism ; Male ; Pancreas, Exocrine ; pathology ; Pancreatitis, Acute Necrotizing ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; pathology ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Stilbenes ; therapeutic use ; Taurocholic Acid ; Up-Regulation

Pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma is an uncommon malignancy of the exocrine pancreas. Because of a higher recurrence rate and frequent metastases, this tumor, generally, has a poor prognosis. We report a case of pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma in a 60-year-old man. His chief complaint was jaundice. Abdominal CT revealed a heterogeneous enhancing mass in the pancreatic head measuring 8.2x7.5cm. After receiving the Whipple procedure, acinar cell carcinoma was diagnosed by pathological examination. Liver metastasis was found at one year after the curative resection.
Acinar Cells ; Carcinoma, Acinar Cell ; Head ; Humans ; Jaundice ; Liver ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Pancreas ; Pancreas, Exocrine ; Prognosis ; Recurrence