Protective effects of baicalin on caerulein-induced AR42J pancreatic acinar cells by attenuating oxidative stress through miR-136-5p downregulation

Baicalin, the main active component of Scutellaria baicalensis, has antioxidant and anti-apoptotic effects and is used to treat acute pancreatitis; however, its specific mechanism is unclear. This study aims to determine the protective effect and underlying mechanism of baicalin on AR42J pancreatic acinar cell injury. AR42J acinar cells (caerulein, 10 nmol/L) were induced in vitro to establish a cell model for acute pancreatitis. Cell relative survival was measured by thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide, and cell apoptosis and death were examined by flow cytometry. The expression levels of superoxide dismutase1 (SOD1), Bax, survivin, Bcl-2, caspase-3, and caspase-7 proteins were analyzed by Western blot, and those of SOD1 mRNA and miR-136-5p were determined by RT-PCR. The activities of GSH, SOD1, ROS, and MDA were also investigated. Compared with those of the caerulein group, the relative survival rate and activity of AR42J pancreatic acinar cells with different baicalin concentrations were significantly increased ( p < 0.05), and the supernatant amylase level was markedly decreased ( p < 0.05). In addition, the ROS and MDA activities and mir-136-5p expression were significantly decreased, and the GSH activities and SOD1 gene and protein expression levels were markedly increased ( p < 0.05). These results suggest that baicalin reduced the caerulein-induced death of AR42J acinar cells and alleviated the caerulein-induced injury in pancreatic acinar cells by inhibiting oxidative stress. The mechanism may be related to the decreased expression of Mir-136-5p and the increased expression of SOD1 gene and protein.

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Docosahexaenoic Acid Induces Expression of NAD(P)H: Quinone Oxidoreductase and Heme Oxygenase-1 through Activation of Nrf2 in Cerulein-Stimulated Pancreatic Acinar Cells

Antioxidants ◽

10.3390/antiox9111084 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (11) ◽

pp. 1084

Author(s):

Yu Jin Ahn ◽

Joo Weon Lim ◽

Hyeyoung Kim

Keyword(s):

Oxidative Stress ◽

Acute Pancreatitis ◽

Docosahexaenoic Acid ◽

Heme Oxygenase ◽

Acinar Cells ◽

Pancreatic Acinar Cells ◽

Heme Oxygenase 1 ◽

Omega 3 ◽

Quinone Oxidoreductase ◽

Ar42j Cells

Oxidative stress is a major risk factor for acute pancreatitis. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) mediate expression of inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) which reflects the severity of acute pancreatitis. The nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway is activated to induce the expression of antioxidant enzymes such as NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) as a cytoprotective response to oxidative stress. In addition, binding of Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1) to Nrf2 promotes degradation of Nrf2. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)—an omega-3 fatty acid—exerts anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Oxidized omega-3 fatty acids react with Keap1 to induce Nrf2-regulated gene expression. In this study, we investigated whether DHA reduces ROS levels and inhibits IL-6 expression via Nrf2 signaling in pancreatic acinar (AR42J) cells stimulated with cerulein, as an in vitro model of acute pancreatitis. The cells were pretreated with or without DHA for 1 h and treated with cerulein (10−8 M) for 1 (ROS levels, protein levels of NQO1, HO-1, pNrf2, Nrf2, and Keap1), 6 (IL-6 mRNA expression), and 24 h (IL-6 protein level in the medium). Our results showed that DHA upregulates the expression of NQO1 and HO-1 in cerulein-stimulated AR42J cells by promoting phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of Nrf2. DHA increased interaction between Keap1 and Nrf2 in AR42J cells, which may increase Nrf2 activity by inhibiting Keap1-mediated sequestration of Nrf2. In addition, DHA-induced expression of NQO1 and HO-1 is related to reduction of ROS and IL-6 levels in cerulein-stimulated AR42J cells. In conclusion, DHA inhibits ROS-mediated IL-6 expression by upregulating Nrf2-mediated expression of NQO1 and HO-1 in cerulein-stimulated pancreatic acinar cells. DHA may exert positive modulatory effects on acute pancreatitis by inhibiting oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokine production by activating Nrf2 signaling in pancreatic acinar cells.

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Sorafenib-induced loss of polarity of zymogen granules in pancreatic acinar cells.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2012.30.4_suppl.236 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 30 (4_suppl) ◽

pp. 236-236

Author(s):

Tatsuo Ito ◽

Ryuichiro Doi ◽

Shinji Uemoto

Keyword(s):

Acute Pancreatitis ◽

Kinase Inhibitor ◽

Pancreatic Enzyme ◽

Acinar Cells ◽

In Vivo Studies ◽

Pancreatic Acinar Cells ◽

Control Group ◽

Amylase Level ◽

Zymogen Granules ◽

Tissue Samples

236 Background: Sorafenib is an oral multi-kinase inhibitor which is regarded as a key drug for HCC and RCC. It has been unexpectedly found that the compound causes an increase of serum pancreatic enzyme levels without clinically recognized pancreatitis. The reason for this event is not well understood yet. The aim of this study was to clarify the mechanisms involved in this phenomenon. Methods: Eight-week old BALB/cA male mice were used in in vivo studies. Sorafenib tosylate was administered per os once daily at a dose of 150 mg/kg body weight. Control mice were given vehicle alone. Mice were sacrificed 24 hr after 1-, 2-, 3- and 7-day administration of the compound, and blood samples and pancreatic tissue samples were obtained (n=5 for each group). The tissue samples were used for hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, immunohistochemistry, electron microscopy (EM), western blot and RT-quantitative PCR studies. Results: Serum amylase levels were elevated after sorafenib administration. The amylase level hit the peak after 2-day administration, and then gradually decreased. By HE staining, the control group without sorafenib showed a basophilic stained area in the baso-lateral site of the acinar cells. In contrast, the acinar cytoplasm after 2-day administration of sorafenib was totally eosinophilic. The typical findings of acute pancreatitis were not seen in the both group. By EM examination, zymogen granules (ZGs) of the sorafenib group spread into basal site of the acinar cells. ZGs mounted up on both of apical and baso-lateral plasma membrane and showed exocytosis. The levels of amylase mRNA were not elevated by sorafenib. In addition the expression of N-ethylmaleimidesensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) proteins was not changed. Conclusions: The results suggest that the amount of acinar amylase production was not changed but the distribution of ZGs was altered by sorafenib. Sorafenib seemed to cause temporary loss of polarity of ZGs secretion in acinar cells by blocking apical exocytosis. Acute pancreatitis was not evident; thus the current model was not similar to the pancreatitis model caused by the supra-maximal secretagogue stimulation which blocks the apical exocytosis.

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Acanthopanaxversus3-Methyladenine Ameliorates Sodium Taurocholate-Induced Severe Acute Pancreatitis by Inhibiting the Autophagic Pathway in Rats

Mediators of Inflammation ◽

10.1155/2016/8369704 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 2016 ◽

pp. 1-12 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Xiaohong Wang ◽

Guoxiong Zhou ◽

Chun Liu ◽

Ronglong Wei ◽

Shunxing Zhu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Acute Pancreatitis ◽

Mrna Expression ◽

Serum Amylase ◽

Sodium Taurocholate ◽

Acinar Cells ◽

Pancreatic Acinar Cells ◽

Therapeutic Effects ◽

Expression Levels ◽

Treatment Groups ◽

Mrna Expression Levels

Objectives. To observe the therapeutic effects of Acanthopanax and 3-methyladenine against severe acute pancreatitis (SAP).Methods. Sodium taurocholate-induced SAP rats were equally randomized into a SAP group, an Acanthopanax group, and a 3-methyladenine group. Serum amylase levels were determined by ELISA; protein and mRNA expression levels of nucleus nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) p65, light chain 3II (LC3-II), and Beclin-1 and mRNA expression levels of Class III phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K-III) in pancreas tissue were detected by Western blot and quantitative real-time PCR, respectively; mortality and pathological change of the pancreas were observed at 3, 12, and 24 h after operation.Results. There was no significant difference in mortality between SAP group and both treatment groups (P>0.05). Serum amylase levels, protein, and mRNA expression levels of nucleus NF-κB p65, LC3-II, and Beclin-1 protein, mRNA expression levels of PI3K-III, and pathological score of the pancreas in both treatment groups were significantly lower than those in SAP group at 12 and 24 h after operation (P<0.05or 0.01). The number of autophagosomes and autophagolysosomes of pancreatic acinar cells in both treatment groups was smaller than that in SAP group at 12 and 24 h.Conclusions. Acanthopanax and 3-methyladenine had similar therapeutic effects against SAP in rats. The mechanism may be through inhibiting abnormal autophagy activation of pancreatic acinar cells.

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The role of intracellular Ca2+ signaling in the exocrine pancreatic damage during acute pancreatitis

10.14232/phd.10488 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Júlia Fanczal

Keyword(s):

Oxidative Stress ◽

Acute Pancreatitis ◽

Bile Acid ◽

Bile Acids ◽

Digestive Enzyme ◽

Acinar Cells ◽

Mitochondrial Damage ◽

Enzyme Activation ◽

Pancreatic Acinar Cells ◽

Biliary Pancreatitis

Acute biliary pancreatitis poses a significant clinical challenge as currently no specific pharmaceutical treatment exists. Disturbed intracellular Ca2+ signalling caused by bile acids is a hallmark of the disease, which induces increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, mitochondrial damage, intra-acinar digestive enzyme activation and cell death. Because of this mechanism of action, prevention of toxic cellular Ca2+ overload is a promising therapeutic target. Transient receptor potential melastatin 2 (TRPM2) is a non-selective cation channel that has recently emerged as an important contributor to oxidative-stress-induced cellular Ca2+ overload across different diseases. However, the expression and possible functions of TRPM2 in the exocrine pancreas remain unknown. Here we found that TRPM2 is expressed in the plasma membrane of mouse pancreatic acinar, which can be activated by increased oxidative stress induced by H2O2 treatment. TRPM2 activity was found to contribute to bile acid-induced extracellular Ca2+ influx in acinar cells. The generation of intracellular ROS in response to bile acids was remarkably higher in pancreatic acinar cells. This activity promoted acinar cell necrosis in vitro independently from mitochondrial damage or mitochondrial fragmentation. In addition, bile-acid-induced experimental pancreatitis was less severe in TRPM2 knockout mice, whereas the lack of TRPM2 had no protective effect in cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis. Our results suggest that the inhibition of TRPM2 may be a potential treatment option for biliary pancreatitis.

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Lycopene protects pancreatic acinar cells against severe acute pancreatitis by abating the oxidative stress through JNK pathway

Free Radical Research ◽

10.3109/10715762.2014.988150 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 49 (2) ◽

pp. 151-163 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

J. C. Lv ◽

G. Wang ◽

S. H. Pan ◽

X. W. Bai ◽

B. Sun

Keyword(s):

Oxidative Stress ◽

Acute Pancreatitis ◽

Severe Acute Pancreatitis ◽

Acinar Cells ◽

Pancreatic Acinar Cells ◽

Jnk Pathway

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Absence of the neutrophil serine protease cathepsin G decreases neutrophil granulocyte infiltration but does not change the severity of acute pancreatitis

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-019-53293-0 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ali A. Aghdassi ◽

Daniel S. John ◽

Matthias Sendler ◽

Christian Storck ◽

Cindy van den Brandt ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Acute Pancreatitis ◽

Serine Protease ◽

Acinar Cells ◽

Neutrophil Infiltration ◽

Cathepsin G ◽

Pancreatic Acinar Cells ◽

Neutrophil Granulocyte ◽

Zymogen Activation ◽

Trypsinogen Activation ◽

Extracellular Matrix Components

AbstractAcute pancreatitis is characterized by an early intracellular protease activation and invasion of leukocytes into the pancreas. Cathepsins constitute a large group of lysosomal enzymes, that have been shown to modulate trypsinogen activation and neutrophil infiltration. Cathepsin G (CTSG) is a neutrophil serine protease of the chymotrypsin C family known to degrade extracellular matrix components and to have regulatory functions in inflammatory disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of CTSG in pancreatitis. Isolated acinar cells were exposed to recombinant CTSG and supramaximal cholezystokinin stimulation. In CTSG−/− mice and corresponding controls acute experimental pancreatitis was induced by serial caerulein injections. Severity was assessed by histology, serum enzyme levels and zymogen activation. Neutrophil infiltration was quantified by chloro-acetate ersterase staining and myeloperoxidase measurement. CTSG was expessed in inflammatory cells but not in pancreatic acinar cells. CTSG had no effect on intra-acinar-cell trypsinogen activation. In CTSG−/− mice a transient decrease of neutrophil infiltration into the pancreas and lungs was found during acute pancreatitis while the disease severity remained largely unchanged. CTSG is involved in pancreatic neutrophil infiltration during pancreatitis, albeit to a lesser degree than the related neutrophil (PMN) elastase. Its absence therefore leaves pancreatitis severity essentially unaffected.

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