Estradiol has a direct impact on the exocrine pancreas as demonstrated by enzyme and vigilin expression.
BACKGROUND
Estrogen receptors have been found in the exocrine pancreas; however, the exact role of estrogen in pancreatic enzyme synthesis and secretion remains to be elucidated. Vigilin, a multi-KH domain protein, is part of a tRNA-containing ribonucleoprotein complex and may be a suitable marker for stimulation of the translational machinery. In the present study, we investigated the influence of estradiol and compared it to CCK on the expression of vigilin, trypsin and amylase in rat pancreatic acini.


METHODS
Acini were isolated and incubated with CCK or estradiol. The change in amylase and trypsin levels in the medium and in cell extracts were determined using a photometric method. The change in vigilin mRNA and protein expression were determined by RT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively.


RESULTS
Treatment of isolated exocrine pancreatic cells with estradiol caused stimulation of amylase and trypsin production and inhibition of secretion, while treatment with CCK showed only a minor effect on enzyme production and resulted mainly in a stimulation of secretion. Further we found an increase in vigilin mRNA and protein expression in acini stimulated with both CCK-8 and estradiol.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest that estradiol may play a role in inducing exocrine enzyme production but not secretion, and that vigilin, as a marker for translational activity, is stimulated in parallel to the pancreatic enzymes: amylase and trypsin.
Hilgendorf
I
I
Department of Medical Molecular Biology, Medical University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany.
Gellersen
O
O
Emmrich
J
J
Mikkat
U
U
Rohwedel
J
J
Krammer
H J
HJ
Müller
P K
PK
Kruse
C
C
D000681:Amylases / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D010179:Pancreas / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012844:Sincalide / Q000494:pharmacology; D014357:Trypsin / Q000378:metabolism
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; C075197:high density lipoprotein binding protein; D004958:Estradiol; D000681:Amylases; D014357:Trypsin; D012844:Sincalide