Basic Research
Copyright ©2006 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jul 28, 2006; 12(28): 4511-4516
Published online Jul 28, 2006. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v12.i28.4511
Pancreatic regenerating protein (reg I) and reg I receptor mRNA are upregulated in rat pancreas after induction of acute pancreatitis
Martin H Bluth, Sameer A Patel, Brian K Dieckgraefe, Hiroshi Okamoto, Michael E Zenilman
Martin H Bluth, Michael E Zenilman, Department of Surgery, State University of New York-Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York, United States
Sameer A Patel, Department of Surgery, Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States
Brian K Dieckgraefe, Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Hiroshi Okamoto, Department of Biochemistry, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
Supported by NIDDK R01 DK54511 (MZ), R01 DK060106 (BD) and NIH Digestive Disease Research Core Center (DDRCC) grant P30 DK52574 (BD)
Correspondence to: Michael E Zenilman, MD, SUNY-Downstate Medical Center, Department of Surgery, Box 40, 450 Clarkson Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11203, United States. michael.zenilman@downstate.edu
Telephone: +1-718-2701421 Fax: +1-718-2702826
Received: December 22, 2005
Revised: January 2, 2006
Accepted: January 14, 2006
Published online: July 28, 2006
Abstract

AIM: Pancreatic regenerating protein (regI) stimulates pancreatic regeneration after pancreatectomy and is mitogenic to ductal and β-cells. This suggests that regIand its receptor may play a role in recovery after pancreatic injury. We hypothesized that regIand its receptor are induced in acute pancreatitis.

METHODS: Acute pancreatitis was induced in male Wistar rats by retrograde injection of 3% sodium taurocholate into the pancreatic duct. Pancreata and serum were collected 12, 24, and 36 hours after injection and from normal controls (4 rats/group). RegIreceptor mRNA, serum regIprotein, and tissue regIprotein levels were determined by Northern analysis, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and Western analysis, respectively. Immunohistochemistry was used to localize changes in regIand its receptor.

RESULTS: Serum amylase levels and histology confirmed necrotizing pancreatitis in taurocholate treated rats. There was no statistically significant change in serum regIconcentrations from controls. However, Western blot demonstrated increased tissue levels of regIat 24 and 36 h. This increase was localized primarily to the acinar cells and the ductal cells by immunohistochemistry. Northern blot demonstrated a significant increase in regIreceptor mRNA expression with pancreatitis. Immunohistochemistry localized this increase to the ductal cells, islets, and acinar cells.

CONCLUSION: Acute pancreatitis results in increased tissue regIprotein levels localized to the acinar and ductal cells, and a parallel threefold induction of regIreceptor in the ductal cells, islets, and acinar cells. These changes suggest that induction of regIand its receptor may be important for recovery from acute pancreatitis.

Keywords: Acute pancreatitis; Reg, reg receptor; Taurocholate; Regeneration