Nicotine as a mitogenic stimulus for pancreatic acinar cell proliferation

Cell proliferation is an important process in life for growth of normal and cancer cells. The signal transduction pathways activated during this process are strictly regulated. This editorial focuses on the role of nicotine, a mitogen, in the induction of signaling pathways resulting in proliferation of pancreatic tumor cells and compares these events with those in normal acinar cells isolated from the rat pancreas. The data shows striking similarities between these two cellular systems. In addition, the editorial reviews very recent literature of the contribution of MAPK signaling in cell lines associated with human diseases. A prospective cellular model of nicotine induced activation of MAPK cascade is presented.

Polyethylene glycol 35 ameliorates pancreatic inflammatory response in cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis in rats

BACKGROUND Acute pancreatitis(AP)is a sudden inflammatory process of the pancreas that may also involve surrounding tissues and/or remote organs.Inflammation and parenchymal cell death are common pathological features of this condition and determinants of disease severity.Polyethylene glycols(PEGs)are nonimmunogenic,non-toxic water-soluble polymers widely used in biological,chemical,clinical and pharmaceutical settings.AIM To evaluate the protective effect of a 35-kDa molecular weight PEG(PEG35)on the pancreatic damage associated to cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis in vivo and in vitro.METHODS Wistar rats were assigned at random to a control group,a cerulein–induced AP group and a PEG35 treatment group.AP was induced by five hourly intraperitoneal injections of cerulein(50μg/kg/bw),while the control animals received saline solution.PEG35 was administered intraperitoneally 10 minutes before each cerulein injection in a dose of 10 mg/kg.After AP induction,samples of pancreatic tissue and blood were collected for analysis.AR42J pancreatic acinar cells were treated with increasing concentrations of PEG35 prior to exposure with tumor necrosis factorα(TNFα),staurosporine or cerulein.The severity of AP was determined on the basis of plasma levels of lipase,lactate dehydrogenase activity,pancreatic edema and histological changes.To evaluate the extent of the inflammatory response,the gene expression of inflammation-associated markers was determined in the pancreas and in AR42J-treated cells.Inflammation-induced cell death was also measured in models of in vivo and in vitro pancreatic damage.RESULTS Administration of PEG35 significantly improved pancreatic damage through reduction on lipase levels and tissue edema in cerulein-induced AP rats.The increased associated inflammatory response caused by cerulein administration was attenuated by a decrease in the gene expression of inflammation-related cytokines and inducible nitric oxide synthase enzyme in the pancreas.In contrast,pancreatic tissue mRNA expression of interleukin 10 was markedly increased.PEG35 treatment also protected against inflammation-induced cell death by attenuating lactate dehydrogenase activity and modulating the pancreatic levels of apoptosis regulator protein BCL-2 in cerulein hyperstimulated rats.Furthermore,the activation of pro-inflammatory markers and inflammationinduced cell death in pancreatic acinar cells treated with TNFα,cerulein or staurosporine was significantly reduced by PEG35 treatment,in a dose-dependent manner.CONCLUSION PEG35 ameliorates pancreatic damage in cerulein-induced AP and AR42J-treated cells through the attenuation of the inflammatory response and associated cell death.PEG35 may be a valuable option in the management of AP.