Pancreatic acinar cells submitted to stress activate TNF-alpha gene expression.
To elucidate whether pancreatic acinar cell submitted to stress is able to express TNF-alpha, we studied TNF-alpha mRNA expression by Northern blot and in situ hybridization in healthy pancreas, in tissue from caerulein-induced pancreatitis and after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment. In specimens from normal pancreas, TNF-alpha mRNA expression, as judged by both Northern blot and in situ hybridization, was negative, whereas a strong but transient expression was observed in acinar cells from caerulein pancreatitis and LPS treatment. TNF-alpha mRNA appeared as rapidly as 30 min after treatment, and was maximal 6 h after. At this time, there was mild infiltration consisting mostly of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL) and no signal of TNF-alpha transcript was found in their cytoplasm. Our results strongly indicate that pancreatic acinar cell is the source of TNF-alpha early in the course of acute pancreatitis and LPS treatment, and suggest that the expression of this cytokine is a part of a general response of the acinar cell to aggression.
Vaccaro
M I
MI
Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina. mvaccaro@mail.retina.ar
Ropolo
A
A
Grasso
D
D
Calvo
E L
EL
Ferreria
M
M
Iovanna
J L
JL
Lanosa
G
G
D000818:Animals; D002108:Ceruletide; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010179:Pancreas / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics*
D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D002108:Ceruletide