title: Pancreatic hypertrophy in Ki-ras-induced actin-interacting protein gene knockout mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pancreatic functions were determined in a Ki-ras-induced actin-interacting protein (KRAP)-deficient (-/-) mouse mutant.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pancreatic enzyme, protein, and DNA contents were measured, and histological examinations were conducted. The mixture of bile-pancreatic juice was collected, and amylase and bile acid outputs were determined. Oral glucose tolerance test was determined. Moreover, the gene expression of KRAP was determined in cholecystokinin (CCK)-A(1) receptor (-/-) mice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The body weight was smaller, and the ratio of pancreatic wet weight/body weight was higher in KRAP(-/-) mice compared with wild-type mice. The enzyme contents, but not DNA content, in the pancreas of KRAP(-/-) mice were higher than those of wild-type mice. Histological examination revealed the increase in the number of zymogen granules in the pancreatic acinar cells of KRAP(-/-) mice. Amylase secretions in response to CCK-octapeptide sulfate were significantly higher in KRAP(-/-) than wild-type mice, whereas the basal secretion did not differ between the 2 genotypes. A normal glucose tolerance was observed in KRAP(-/-) mice. The gene expression of KRAP in CCK-A(1) receptor (-/-) mice was significantly lower than in wild-type mice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The lack and/or decrease in KRAP level in the pancreas may promote the pancreatic growth and hypertrophy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Physiology, Tokyo Kasei University, Tokyo, Japan. miyasakak@tokyo-kasei.ac.jp
authors.forename: Kyoko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miyasaka
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujimoto
authors.forename: Takako
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawanami
authors.forename: Soichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takiguchi
authors.forename: Atsuo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jimi
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Funakoshi
authors.forename: Senji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shirasawa
mesh_terms: D000681:Amylases / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001647:Bile Acids and Salts / Q000378:metabolism; D011905:Genes, ras / Q000502:physiology; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006984:Hypertrophy; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D010179:Pancreas / Q000473:pathology*; D011949:Receptors, Cholecystokinin / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D001647:Bile Acids and Salts; C557477:KRAP protein, mouse; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D011949:Receptors, Cholecystokinin; D000681:Amylases