Secretion of lysosomal and digestive enzymes into pancreatic juice under physiological and pathological conditions in rabbits

Abstract

To investigate the possible secretion of lysosomal enzymes into pancreatic juice during stimulation with a pancreatic secretagogue under both physiological and pathological conditions, we measured the amount of cathepsin B, a lysosomal enzyme, in the pancreatic juice during the infusion of 6 different concentrations of caerulein (0.02, 0.05, 0.2, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 micrograms/kg. hr). In one group of rabbits the pancreatic duct was only cannulated (free-flow group); in others the pancreatic duct was obstructed for 7 hours and secretin was infused at 0.2 CU/kg. hr (obstructed group). In addition, we evaluated the effect of the intraduodenal instillation of a liquid meal (2 g/kg) on the secretion of lysosomal enzymes into pancreatic juice. Caerulein stimulated the secretion of cathepsin B into pancreatic juice in a dose-dependent manner, as it did that of amylase, and at higher concentrations of caerulein (1.0 and 2.0 micrograms/kg. hr), both cathepsin B output and amylase output were decreased. There was a significant positive correlation between cathepsin B output and amylase output into pancreatic juice during stimulation with caerulein. Blockage of the pancreatic duct for 7 hours caused a significant rise in serum amylase levels and a redistribution of cathepsin B activity in the pancreatic subcellular fractions, as a result of which an increased amount of cathepsin B was recovered in the pellet obtained by 1000 x g centrifugation for 15 min, which contained many zymogen granules. These changes noted after short-term pancreatic duct obstruction are very similar to those previously noted in the early stage of diet-and caerulein-induced experimental pancreatitis, suggesting the colocalization of lysosomal enzyme and digestive enzymes. In the duct-obstructed animals, the secretion of cathepsin B stimulated by caerulein was significantly greater than in the free-flow group. Furthermore, the intraduodenal instillation of a liquid meal caused the secretion of cathepsin B into the pancreatic juice along with amylase. These results indicate that under physiological conditions, such as food intake, lysosomal enzymes are secreted into the pancreatic juice in response to stimulation by gut hormones in the same manner as classical pancreatic digestive enzymes. Moreover, zymogen colocalized with lysosomal enzymes in duct-obstructed animals is secreted into pancreatic juice in increased amounts together with digestive enzymes; this finding suggests that lysosomal enzymes play important pathophysiological roles in pancreatic juice and that acinar cells are altered to maintain cellular organization by secreting the potentially dangerous lysosomal enzymes. This pancreatic duct-obstructed rabbit model should be useful in clarifying the early events of acute pancreatitis.