Supramaximal cholecystokinin stimulates apoptosis and necrosis in pancreatic acinar cells: Role in pancreatitis

摘要

Cholecystokinin (CCK) is a key secretagogue for the pancreatic acinar cell; however, supramaximally stimulating concentrations of CCK-8 induce pathologic responses. Pancreatitis induced in rats and mice by supramaximal CCK-8 or its analog, cerulein, is the most widely used model of acute pancreatitis. Parenchymal cell death, in particular necrosis, is a major complication of pancreatitis; also, the severity of pancreatitis in animal models correlates directly with necrosis and inversely with apoptosis. Thus, elucidating the mechanisms that regulate the pattern of death responses may be of important therapeutic value in pancreatitis.