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R Bruzzone

Publications and source records attributed to R Bruzzone.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

Mechanism of action of bombesin on amylase secretion. Evidence for a Ca2+-independent pathway.

The mode of action of bombesin on amylase secretion was investigated in rat pancreatic acini. Bombesin induced a dose-dependent increase in inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and cytosolic free Ca2+. The threshold concentration capable of inducing both effects was 0.1 nM and the half-maximal dose of the peptide for Ca2+ mobilization was approximately 0.6 nM. By contrast, amylase release was approximately 30 times more sensitive than inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate production and Ca2+ mobilization to bombesin action, with 1 pM being the first stimulatory concentration and a half-maximal effect at approximately 20 pM. The ability of low bombesin doses to trigger enzyme secretion was unaffected by chelation of extracellular Ca2+ with EGTA. In order to test whether the stimulation of amylase release was truly a Ca2+-independent response, the intracellular Ca2+ stores were depleted by pretreating acini with EGTA plus ionomycin, the Ca2+ ionophore. Under these conditions bombesin was still capable of eliciting a significant twofold enhancement of the secretory activity. These results indicate that bombesin, an agonist thought to activate secretion mainly through mobilization of Ca2+ from intracellular stores, elicits amylase release at low concentrations, independently of a concomitant rise in cytosolic free Ca2+. The relevance of these findings to the physiological regulation of pancreatic exocrine secretion is discussed.

Amylases↗
PubMed1989

Effects of n-alcohols on junctional coupling and amylase secretion of pancreatic acinar cells.

We have tested the effects of alcohols differing by their alkyl chain length on the membrane channels and amylase secretion of rat pancreatic acinar cells. In intact acini, alcohols with a chain of seven, eight, or nine carbons (C-7, C-8, and C-9) induced dye uncoupling and increased basal amylase release. These effects were readily reversible after alcohol removal. By contrast, an alcohol with a chain of 15 carbons (C-15) and several alcohols with chains of fewer than six carbons (C-2, C-4, and C-6) did not uncouple acinar cells and had no effects of amylase secretion. Neither did alkanes and oxidized derivatives of C-7 and C-8 alcohols did not affect dye coupling. Double patch-clamp experiments on pairs of acinar cells, under conditions of strong cytosolic Ca2+ and pH buffering, showed that C-7, C-8, and C-9 alcohols blocked completely and reversibly the electrical conductance of junctional channels. Furthermore, studies of single voltage-clamped acinar cells revealed that the uncoupling alcohols did not affect the resting nonjunctional membrane conductances. Thus the alcohols that did not affect acinar cells coupling did not affect amylase secretion, whereas the alcohols that caused uncoupling increased secretion. The latter effect was not mediated by changes in the conductance of nonjunctional membrane, cytosolic Ca2+, and pH and, as revealed by an immunological hemolytic plaque assay for amylase, had a time course consistent with the rapid (within 1 min) inhibition of coupling. These data provide new support for the view that the regulation of cell-to-cell communications is correlated with that of digestive enzyme secretion.

Alcohols↗
PubMed1989

Increase in pancreatic exocrine secretion during uncoupling: evidence for a protein kinase C-independent effect.

It has been demonstrated that blockade of the normal communication between pancreatic acinar cells leads to an increase in amylase release. Although the physiological mechanisms that regulate the gating of gap junction channels are unknown, the involvement of protein kinase C (PKC) in the inhibition of cell coupling has been reported in various cell lines. Since the activation of PKC also stimulates amylase secretion of pancreatic acinar cells, we sought to determine whether blockers of gap junctions and activators of PKC modify basal secretion by a similar mechanism. Thus, we have studied the effects of heptanol and of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) on the subcellular distribution of PKC, dye coupling, and amylase release of dispersed pancreatic acini. The data show that TPA activates PKC and stimulates amylase secretion without affecting the extensive dye coupling of acinar cells. By contrast, heptanol inhibits cell-to-cell coupling and increases enzyme output without altering the subcellular distribution of PKC. Heptanol also enhances significantly the secretion evoked by TPA. These results indicate that the stimulation of amylase release caused by uncoupling of acinar cells occurs by a mechanism(s) that does not involve the activation of PKC.

Alcohols↗
PubMed1988

Measurement of cytosolic free Ca2+ in individual pancreatic acini.

The kinetics of changes in cytosolic free Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) were determined in individual rat pancreatic acini by microfluorimetry. Three major findings are reported. First, at maximal stimulatory concentrations for amylase release, both caerulein and bombesin induced an initial rise in [Ca2+]i followed by prolonged secondary oscillations of smaller amplitude. The latter effect was not observed with supramaximal doses of caerulein. Second, these cyclic changes were dependent, at least in part, on extracellular Ca2+. Finally, comparison of the threshold doses for [Ca2+]i mobilization and enzyme discharge demonstrated that pathways independent of an elevation of [Ca2+]i control the secretory activity of pancreatic acini at low, picomolar agonist concentrations.

Amylases↗
PubMed1988

Activators of protein kinase C depolarize insulin-secreting cells by closing K+ channels.

Carbohydrate stimuli of insulin secretion depolarize the pancreatic B cell and the B-cell line RINm5F by inhibiting ATP-sensitive K+ channels. We examined the possibility that this effect is mediated by activation of protein kinase C. In RINm5F cells, the triose D-glyceraldehyde evoked a rapid increase of the mass of 1,2-diacylglycerol, the endogenous activator of protein kinase C. This effect is mainly due to de novo synthesis of the lipid from glycolytic intermediates, as glyceraldehyde carbon was incorporated into 1,2-diacylglycerol within 1 min of exposure to 14C-labelled glyceraldehyde. The effects of two exogenous activators of kinase C, 4-beta-12-phorbol-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) and 1,2-didecanoylglycerol (DC10) on single K+ channel currents were examined in RINm5F cell-attached membrane patches. Both PMA and DC10 depolarized the cells and decreased the open-state probability of the ATP-sensitive K+ channels. These actions were not due to changes in cellular ATP content, since PMA, like glyceraldehyde, failed to alter cellular ATP. As is the case for glyceraldehyde, PMA and DC10 raised cytosolic free Ca2+ [( Ca2+]i) and stimulated insulin secretion. Both of these effects are inhibited in the absence of external Ca2+. This, and the attenuation of the [Ca2+]i rise by verapamil, suggest that all three stimuli raise [Ca2+]i by promoting Ca2+ influx through voltage-gated channels in turn leading to insulin secretion. As the exogenous activators of protein kinase C mimic the effects of glyceraldehyde, it is proposed that the carbohydrate-mediated production of 1,2-diacylglycerol constitutes the link between metabolism and membrane depolarization.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Action Potentials↗
PubMed1988

The gap junction: a channel for multiple functions?

Gap junctions are specialized membrane structures that enable the intercytoplasmic exchange of small molecules and ions between contacting cells. During the past decade, biophysical and structural analyses of the junctional channel have considerably increased our understanding of the pharmacological properties and gating mechanisms of gap junctions. Despite this impressive amount of work, until recently the physiological role of these ubiquitous intercellular pathways has remained speculative in most tissues. This review summarizes the most recent information obtained on the structure of the gap junction by molecular cloning of the major protein components and emphasizes the growing evidence for their functional role in adult tissues formed by highly differentiated secretory cells. The relevance of cell-to-cell coupling for the co-ordinated function of the exocrine and endocrine pancreas is discussed.

Alcohols↗
PubMed1988

Cell uncoupling and protein kinase C: correlation in a cell line but not in a differentiated tissue.

Second messengers have been implicated in the control of communication between cells of various tissues and of a number of cell lines. To assess whether protein kinase C (PKC) is involved in the regulation of gap junctions between primary differentiated cells, we studied the effects of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) on PKC translocation and junctional conductance of rat pancreatic exocrine cells. Our results show that although TPA induced the translocation of PKC from a "cytosolic" to a "microsomal" fraction within minutes, it failed to block the junctional conductance of acinar cell pairs up to 30 min after application. By contrast, analogous experiments on a liver-derived cell line (WB cells) showed that TPA-induced PKC translocation was paralleled by a marked and irreversible inhibition of intercellular coupling. These results indicate that, in contrast to the effects on transformed or dedifferentiated permanent cell lines, PKC is not involved in gating gap junctional channels between primary differentiated secretory cells of the pancreas.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Visualization of amylase secretion from individual pancreatic acini.

To assess the secretion of individual rat pancreatic acini, we developed a reverse hemolytic plaque assay that allows for a direct visualization of amylase release. This release was detected around secreting cells by the presence of hemolytic plaques that resulted from the complement-mediated lysis of red blood cells bearing amylase-antiamylase complexes bound to protein A. Controls showed that these plaques reflected specifically the active secretion of amylase. Quantitation of hemolytic plaques showed that after a 30-min incubation approximately 50% of the acini secreted under basal conditions. Stimulation of amylase release by increasing concentrations of carbamylcholine resulted in a dose-dependent recruitment of secreting acini as well as in a time-dependent enhancement in the response of individual acini. Under all conditions, the wide distribution of hemolytic plaque sizes indicated large differences in the secretory output of individual acini. Thus, using a new method to directly visualize and quantitate amylase secretion, we have provided evidence for a functional heterogeneity of pancreatic acini.

Amylases↗
PubMed1988

Caerulein causes translocation of protein kinase C in rat acini without increasing cytosolic free Ca2+.

We investigated the relationships between changes in cytosolic free Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) and amylase secretion in dispersed rat pancreatic acini. Although 10 pM caerulein did not raise [Ca2+]i, higher concentrations (1 nM) of the peptide elicited a prompt, marked, but transient (2-3 min) elevation of [Ca2+]i. Both concentrations of caerulein caused an almost identical release of amylase over a 30-min period. To investigate the mechanism(s) underlying Ca2+-independent secretion, we measured the effect of the secretagogue on protein kinase C activity and found that both caerulein concentrations caused a significant translocation of protein kinase C from the cytosolic to the microsomal fraction. Because 1 nM caerulein induced a greater enzyme secretion than 10 pM caerulein during the first 2-5 min of stimulation, we explored further the role of [Ca2+]i transients during the first minutes of secretion. Addition of ionomycin in the presence of 10 pM caerulein resulted in a rise in [Ca2+]i and enhanced secretion as a result of caerulein in a near additive fashion during the first 2 min of stimulation. Second, we pretreated acini for 5 min with 1 microM 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate. This maneuver inhibited both caerulein-induced inositol trisphosphate formation and [Ca2+]i elevation. These findings were paralleled by a similar inhibition of caerulein-stimulated amylase release only during the first 5 min of secretion. These results indicate that 1) caerulein can stimulate amylase secretion independently of a concomitant [Ca2+]i rise, possibly by activation of protein kinase C, and 2) an elevation of [Ca2+]i serves as a trigger to enhance amylase release only during the initial phase of secretion.

Amylases↗
PubMed1987

Nonselective inhibition of neutrophil functions by sphinganine.

Sphinganine has been proposed to be a specific inhibitor of protein kinase C. In the present study we have evaluated whether sphinganine is a convenient tool to probe for the role of protein kinase C in neutrophil function. Human neutrophils were loaded with the fluorescent probe quin2 and then tested in parallel for cytosolic free Ca2+, [Ca2+]i, membrane potential changes, O2- production, and exocytosis of primary granules (containing beta-glucuronidase) in response to various stimuli. In addition to inhibiting O2- production and exocytosis in a dose-dependent manner, sphinganine also blocked formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine-induced [Ca2+]i, transients. Furthermore, sphinganine inhibited exocytosis elicited by the calcium ionophore ionomycin. Although sphinganine blocked O2- production due to phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, the most striking finding was that the drug rendered the cells leaky. Thus, at similar concentrations as those inhibiting cellular functions, sphinganine was shown to lead to cell permeabilization, as assessed by release of quin2 and cytoplasmic markers into the extracellular medium, and changes in plasma membrane potential. We conclude, therefore, that sphinganine does not appear to be a suitable compound for the evaluation of the involvement of protein kinase C in neutrophil activation.

Aminoquinolines↗
PubMed1987

Rapid increases in inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate, inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate and cytosolic free Ca2+ in agonist-stimulated pancreatic acini of the rat. Effect of carbachol, caerulein and secretin.

We compared the time course of increases in isomers of inositol trisphosphate [Ins(1,4,5)P3] and Ins(1,3,4)P3] and the tetrakisphosphate [Ins(1,3,4,5)P4] with changes in cytosolic free Ca2+ [( Ca2+]i) in dispersed pancreatic acini of the rat. There were rapid (5s) increases in Ins(1,4,5)P3 and Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 in response to carbachol, caerulein and secretin, whereas Ins(1,3,4)P3 increased more slowly. All three secretagogues induced increases in [Ca2+]i, which reached a peak at 15-20 s. Our results indicate that the very rapid formation of Ins(1,4,5)P3 is compatible with its second-messenger role in the initial elevation of [Ca2+]i.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Direct stimulation of enzyme secretion from rat exocrine pancreas by neurotensin and its naturally occurring fragments.

Neurotensin stimulates amylase release from dispersed pancreatic acini at concentrations as low as 10(-15) M. The naturally occurring fragments of neurotensin (NT), NT 1-8 and NT 1-11, also stimulate amylase secretion at concentrations that occur in peripheral plasma (10(-11) M). The analogue D-Phe11 neurotensin was as potent as neurotensin itself with respect to stimulation of amylase secretion. Basal plasma neurotensin levels were approximately 10 pmol/L, a concentration that stimulates the exocrine pancreas in vitro. Increases in plasma neurotensin levels induced by infusion of neurotensin caused greater increases in secretion of pancreatic amylase than did similar changes of neurotensin concentration in vitro. These results suggest that in addition to its direct action, other factors are involved in modulation of the effects of neurotensin on pancreatic exocrine function in vivo.

Amylases↗
PubMed1987

Secretin stimulates cyclic AMP and inositol trisphosphate production in rat pancreatic acinar tissue by two fully independent mechanisms.

In rat pancreatic acinar tissue adenylate cyclase is stimulated by low concentrations of secretin, while higher concentrations also activate phosphatidylinositol bisphosphate hydrolysis. By the use of the secretin analogues [Tyr10,13]secretin and [Tyr10,13,Phe22,Trp25]secretin, we have shown that substitution of tyrosine for leucine at positions 10 and 13 was sufficient to reduce the ability of the peptide to stimulate the production of inositol trisphosphate and the increases in cytosolic free calcium, while the ability to stimulate cAMP is little affected and the peptide remained a full agonist. Incubation with cholera toxin caused increases in cAMP, which were maximal after 30 min. Cholera toxin treatment also resulted in a marked reduction of secretin-stimulated inositol trisphosphate production, but this required a much more prolonged treatment (150-240 min), suggesting that different cholera toxin substrates were involved. Activation of protein kinase C with the phorbol ester phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate had no effect on secretin-induced cAMP formation, nor was secretin-stimulated inositol trisphosphate formation altered by further increases in cAMP. These results indicate that the mechanisms by which secretin stimulates adenylate cyclase and activates phospholipase C in acinar tissue are completely independent.

1-Methyl-3-isobutylxanthine↗
PubMed1987

Gap junctional coupling modulates secretion of exocrine pancreas.

Dispersed pancreatic acini were studied to assess the function of junctional coupling between adult secretory cells. Nonstimulated control cells were extensively coupled to their neighbors throughout each acinus. Addition of heptanol caused their uncoupling and increased their basal amylase release. Neurotensin, secretin, and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) stimulated amylase secretion without uncoupling acinar cells. Heptanol rapidly and markedly uncoupled the neurotensin-, secretin-, and VIP-stimulated acinar cells and increased their amylase secretion in an additive manner. By contrast, the secretory response to carbamoylcholine (carbachol), a secretagogue that, alone, uncoupled acinar cells, was not affected by heptanol. Basal as well as neurotensin-, secretin-, and VIP-stimulated output returned to the lower control values following removal of heptanol and recovery of normal coupling. The data provide evidence that blockage of gap junctional coupling increases the basal secretion of exocrine pancreas as well as the response of the gland to a variety of secretagogues.

Alcohols↗
PubMed1987

Regulation of pancreatic exocrine function: a role for cell-to-cell communication?

The effect of heptanol, an alkanol which decreases gap junctional permeability, was investigated in the perfused rat pancreas. Under basal conditions, heptanol (3.5 mM) caused a three- to fourfold increase of pancreatic juice, protein, and amylase outputs. The effect on enzyme secretion was fully reversible upon removal of the alkanol and was not secondary to the release of acetylcholine from nerve endings, since it was not prevented by addition of atropine (10(-6) M) to the perfusate. By contrast, another alkanol, hexanol (3 mM), which does not decrease coupling between acinar cells in spite of anesthetic properties analogous to those of heptanol, did not alter pancreatic secretion. The effect of heptanol was not mediated by a significant stimulation of cyclic AMP, nor did the alkanol increase the secretion of lactic dehydrogenase, a cytosolic marker. Analysis of the numerical density of freeze-fractured and immunolabeled gap junctions between acinar cells did not show differences between heptanol-perfused and control pancreases. In addition, heptanol did not alter carbachol (10(-6) M and 10(-5) M)-evoked amylase release. Since heptanol blocks cell coupling, apparently without interfering with the main intracellular pathways triggering enzyme release, we suggest that downregulation of direct cell-to-cell communications increases pancreatic exocrine secretion. Thus, cell coupling is probably involved in the regulation of the secretory activity of acinar cells.

Alcohols↗
PubMed1986

Secretin induces rapid increases in inositol trisphosphate, cytosolic Ca2+ and diacylglycerol as well as cyclic AMP in rat pancreatic acini.

Previous studies have shown that the dose-response relationship for secretin-stimulated cyclic AMP accumulation is different from that for secretin-stimulated enzyme secretion in the rat exocrine pancreas. Here we show that secretin concentrations of 10(-10) M and higher stimulated a rise in cyclic AMP levels, with maximum effect on cyclic AMP accumulation being achieved already with 10(-8) M-secretin. However, at this concentration of secretin, enzyme secretion rates were approximately half-maximal. Unexpectedly, at concentrations of secretin greater than 10(-8) M there was evidence suggestive of phosphatidylinositol bisphosphate hydrolysis with rapid increases in inositol trisphosphate, cytosolic free calcium and diacylglycerol content of rat pancreatic acini. Furthermore, there was a dose-response relationship among secretin concentration (in the range 10(-8) M-2 X 10(-6) M), increases in inositol trisphosphate and increases in cytosolic free calcium ([Ca2+]i). Contrary to what has been previously believed, these results clearly indicate that in rat pancreatic acini secretin not only stimulates cyclic AMP accumulation but also raises inositol trisphosphate, [Ca2+]i and diacylglycerol. Thus, two second messenger systems may play a role in the regulation of secretin-induced amylase release.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Insulin resistance is accompanied by impairment of amylase-gene expression in the exocrine pancreas of the obese Zucker rat.

Insulin plays a major role in the control of pancreatic amylase biosynthesis. In this study we determined glucose metabolism by pancreatic acini as well as the pancreatic content of both amylase protein and amylase mRNA during development of insulin resistance in the obese Zucker rat. At age 4 weeks there were no abnormalities detected in the above parameters, although the obese animals were already hyperinsulinaemic. At 6 weeks glucose metabolism was decreased by 50% in acini from obese rats, whereas pancreatic amylase-gene expression was only slightly impaired. At 22 weeks glucose metabolism was decreased by 50%, amylase content by 55% and amylase mRNA by 60% in acinar tissue of obese rats. As expected, hyperinsulinaemia increased markedly with age. Thus development of severe insulin resistance was associated with impairment of amylase-gene expression. To decrease insulin resistance, one group of adult obese rats was treated with Ciglitazone for 4 weeks. A lowered plasma insulin concentration without alteration of food intake was taken as evidence of decreased insulin resistance. This was associated with normalization of glucose metabolism and a marked increase of both amylase content of pancreatic tissue and amylase mRNA. In conclusion, both the increase of insulin resistance with age and its partial reversal by Ciglitazone treatment appear to modulate pancreatic amylase-gene expression in the obese Zucker rat.

Amylases↗