title: Engulfment of necrotic acinar cells by pancreatic stellate cells inhibits pancreatic fibrogenesis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We have previously reported that pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) have a phagocytic function. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether engulfment of necrotic acinar cells affects pancreatic fibrogenesis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rat pancreatic acinar cells were incubated for 48 hours to induce necrosis, and PSCs were allowed to interact with them for 12 to 48 hours. Annexin V and propidium iodide staining or detection of DNA fragmentation was used to identify cell death.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A large number of necrotic acinar cells were engulfed by PSCs. When PSCs were exposed to necrotic acinar cells for 12 hours, the number of living PSCs was significantly lower than among the control PSCs, which were not exposed to necrotic acinar cells. DNA degradation was observed in PSCs that had ingested necrotic acinar cells, and they were Annexin V and propidium iodide positive, suggesting that engulfment of necrotic acinar cells induced PSC death. There was no difference between the concentrations of transforming growth factor-beta in the medium of the PSCs that had engulfed acinar cells and the medium of the control PSCs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Engulfment of necrotic acinar cells by PSCs induces PSC death, suggesting that engulfment of necrotic acinar cells may inhibit the progression of fibrogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Institute of Gastroenterology, Tokyo Women's Medical University, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Junko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tahara
authors.forename: Kyoko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shiratori
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned / Q000378:metabolism; D005355:Fibrosis; D008297:Male; D009336:Necrosis; D046790:Pancreas, Exocrine / Q000473:pathology*; D010586:Phagocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D010587:Phagocytosis; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013997:Time Factors; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta