The extent of dye-coupling between exocrine acinar cells of the mouse pancreas. The dye-coupled acinar unit

Neuronal and hormonal control of Ca2+ signalling in exocrine glands: insight from in vivo studies

Fluid and enzyme secretion from exocrine glands is initiated by Ca2+ signalling in acinar cells and is activated by external neural or hormonal signals. A wealth of information has been derived from studies in acutely isolated exocrine cells but Ca2+ signalling has until recently not been studied in undisrupted intact tissue in live mice. Our in vivo observations using animals expressing genetically encoded Ca2+ indicators in specific cell types in exocrine glands revealed both similarities to and differences from the spatiotemporal characteristics previously reported in isolated cells. These in vivo studies facilitate further understanding of how both neuronal and hormonal input shapes Ca2+ signalling events in a physiological setting and how these signals are translated into the stimulation of fluid secretion and exocytosis.

Pacing intracellular Ca2+ signals in exocrine acinar cells

An increase in intracellular [Ca2+ ] in exocrine acinar cells resident in the salivary glands or pancreas is a fundamental event that drives fluid secretion and exocytosis of proteins. Stimulation with secretagogues initiates Ca2+ signals with precise spatiotemporal properties thought to be important for driving physiological output. Both in vitro, in acutely isolated acini, and in vivo, in animals expressing genetically encoded indicators, individual cells appear specialized to initiate Ca2+ signals upon stimulation. Furthermore, these signals appear to spread to neighbouring cells. These properties are present in the absence of a conventional pacemaker mechanism dependent on the cyclical activation of Ca2+ -dependent or Ca2+ -conducting plasma membrane ion channels. In this article, we propose a model for 'pacing' intracellular Ca2+ signals in acinar cells based on the enhanced sensitivity of a subpopulation of individual cells and the intercellular diffusion through gap junctions of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and Ca2+ to neighbouring cells.

The roles of calcium and ATP in the physiology and pathology of the exocrine pancreas

This review deals with the roles of calcium ions and ATP in the control of the normal functions of the different cell types in the exocrine pancreas as well as the roles of these molecules in the pathophysiology of acute pancreatitis. Repetitive rises in the local cytosolic calcium ion concentration in the apical part of the acinar cells not only activate exocytosis but also, via an increase in the intramitochondrial calcium ion concentration, stimulate the ATP formation that is needed to fuel the energy-requiring secretion process. However, intracellular calcium overload, resulting in a global sustained elevation of the cytosolic calcium ion concentration, has the opposite effect of decreasing mitochondrial ATP production, and this initiates processes that lead to necrosis. In the last few years it has become possible to image calcium signaling events simultaneously in acinar, stellate, and immune cells in intact lobules of the exocrine pancreas. This has disclosed processes by which these cells interact with each other, particularly in relation to the initiation and development of acute pancreatitis. By unraveling the molecular mechanisms underlying this disease, several promising therapeutic intervention sites have been identified. This provides hope that we may soon be able to effectively treat this often fatal disease.

Ca2+ signalling and Ca2+-activated ion channels in exocrine acinar cells

The development of the calcium signalling field, from its early beginnings some 40 years ago to the present, is described. Calcium signalling in exocrine gland acinar cells and the effects of neurotransmitter- or hormone-elicited rises in the cytosolic calcium ion concentration on ion channel gating are reviewed. The highly polarized arrangement of the organelle systems in living acinar cells is described as well as its importance for the physiologically relevant local and polarized calcium signalling events.

Delayed expression of large conductance K+ channels reshaping agonist-induced currents in mouse pancreatic acinar cells

Epithelial secretory cells display cell-specific mechanisms of fluid secretion and express large conductance voltage- and Ca2+-activated K+ (Maxi-K) channels that generate the membrane negativity for effective Cl- exit to the lumen. Rat and mouse pancreatic acinar cells had been thought to be peculiar in this sense because of the previously reported lack of Maxi-K channels. However, this view is not entirely correct as evidenced in the present paper. Searching for their presence in pancreatic acinar cells in mice from 5 to 84 weeks of age with patch-clamp current measurements, we demonstrated that the expression of Maxi-K channels is regulated in an age-associated manner after birth. The expression started at approximately 12 postnatal weeks and increased steadily up to 84 weeks. In support of this, RT-PCR could not detect mSlo mRNA, the Maxi-K gene, at either 7 or 8 weeks but could at 58 and 64 postnatal weeks. These results suggest that a key steering element for fluid secretion, the Maxi-K channel, is progressively re-organized in rodent pancreas. A pancreatic secretagogue, acetylcholine, evoked Maxi-K channel current overlapping to various degrees on the previously known current response. This suggests that the rise in internal Ca2+ activates Maxi-K channels which reshape the mode of secretagogue-evoked current response and contribute to Cl- driving in fluid secretion in an age-associated fashion.

Polarized calcium and calmodulin signaling in secretory epithelia

This review examines polarized calcium and calmodulin signaling in exocrine epithelial cells. The calcium ion is a simple, evolutionarily ancient, and universal second messenger. In exocrine epithelial cells, it regulates essential functions such as exocytosis, fluid secretion, and gene expression. Exocrine cells are structurally polarized, with the apical region usually dedicated to secretion. Recent advances in technology, in particular the development of videoimaging and confocal microscopy, have led to the discovery of polarized, subcellular calcium signals in these cell types. The properties of a rich variety of local and global calcium signals have now been described in secretory epithelial cells. Secretagogues stimulate apical-to-basal waves of calcium in many exocrine cell types, but there are some interesting exceptions to this rule. The shapes of intracellular calcium signals are determined by the distribution of calcium-releasing channels and mechanisms that limit calcium elevation. Polarized distribution of calcium-handling mechanisms also leads to transcellular calcium transport in exocrine epithelial cells. This transport can deliver considerable amounts of calcium into secreted fluids. Multicellular polarized calcium signals can coordinate the activity of many individual cells in epithelial secretory tissue. Certain particularly sensitive cells serve as pacemakers for initiation of intercellular calcium waves. Many calcium signaling pathways involve activation of calmodulin. This ubiquitous protein regulates secretion in exocrine cells and also activates interesting feedback interactions with calcium channels and transporters. Very recently it became possible to directly study polarized calcium-calmodulin reactions and to visualize the process of hormone-induced redistribution of calmodulin in live cells. The structural and functional polarity of secretory epithelia alongside the polarity of its calcium and calmodulin signaling present an interesting lesson in tissue organization.

Characterization of single potassium channels in mouse pancreatic acinar cells

1. Single K(+)-selective channels with a conductance of about 48 pS (pipette, 145 mM KCl; bath, 140 mM NaCl + 4.7 mM KCl) were recorded in the patch-clamp whole-cell configuration in isolated mouse pancreatic acinar cells. 2. Neither application of the secretagogues acetylcholine (second messenger, inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate) or secretin (second messenger, cAMP), nor addition of the catalytic subunit of protein kinase A to the pipette solution changed the activity of the 48 pS K+ channel. 3. Intracellular acidification with sodium propionate (20 mM) diminished activity of the 48 pS channel, whereas channel open probability was increased by cytosolic alkalization with 20 mM NH4Cl. 4. BaCl2 (5 mM), TEA (10 mM) or apamin (1 microM) added to the bath solution had no obvious effect on the kinetics of the 48 pS channel. Similarly, glibenclamide and diazoxide failed to influence the channel activity. 5. When extracellular NaCl was replaced by KCl, whole-cell recordings revealed an inwardly rectifying K+ current carried by a 17 pS K+ channel. 6. The inwardly rectifying K+ current was not pH dependent and could largely be blocked by Ba2+ but not by TEA. 7. Since the 48 pS K+ channel is neither Ca2+ nor cAMP regulated, we suggest that this channel could play a role in the maintenance of the negative cell resting potential.

Different localizations of 21 and 27 kDa gap-junction proteins in rat salivary glands

Antibodies against 21 and 27 kDa gap-junction proteins from rat liver were used to examine the identification and localization of gap-junction proteins in rat salivary glands. Acinar cells of the submandibular glands and parotid glands stained well for the 27 kDa gap junction protein and less intensely for the 21 kDa protein. Acinar cells of the sublingual glands were stained heavily for the 27 kDa gap junction protein and stained well for 21 kDa gap junction protein. No 27 kDa protein was observed in the ducts of the salivary glands. The 21 kDa gap-junction protein was distributed in some of the intercalated ducts in the parotid and submandibular glands. Immunoblotting of an extract of parotid glands with antibodies against 21 and 27 kDa gap-junction proteins revealed the presence of 21 and 27 kDa proteins in the parotid glands. It is concluded that the 27 kDa gap-junction protein is distributed as a major component of the gap junctions in the acinar cells of all the salivary glands; the 21 kDa protein is localized as a minor component in the acinar cells and some portions of the intercalated ducts in the salivary glands. It is possible that these gap-junction proteins might contribute to the regulation of function of the salivary glands.

Connexin40, a component of gap junctions in vascular endothelium, is restricted in its ability to interact with other connexins

The cellular distribution of connexin40 (Cx40), a newly cloned gap junction structural protein, was examined by immunofluorescence microscopy using two different specific anti-peptide antibodies. Cx40 was detected in the endothelium of muscular as well as elastic arteries in a punctate pattern consistent with the known distribution of gap junctions. However, it was not detected in other cells of the vascular wall. By contrast, Cx43, another connexin present in the cardiovascular system, was not detected in endothelial cells of muscular arteries but was abundant in the myocardium and aortic smooth muscle. We have tested the ability of these connexins to interact functionally. Cx40 was functionally expressed in pairs of Xenopus oocytes and induced the formation of intercellular channels with unique voltage dependence. Unexpectedly, communication did not occur when oocytes expressing Cx40 were paired with those expressing Cx43, although each could interact with a different connexin, Cx37, to form gap junction channels in paired oocytes. These findings indicate that establishment of intercellular communication can be spatially regulated by the selective expression of different connexins and suggest a mechanism that may operate to control the extent of communication between cells.

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.

Blockage of cell-to-cell communication within pancreatic acini is associated with increased basal release of amylase

To assess whether junctional coupling is involved in the secretory activity of pancreatic acinar cells, dispersed rat acini were incubated for 30 min in the presence of either heptanol (3.5 mM) or octanol (1.0 mM). Exposure to either alkanol caused a marked uncoupling of the acinar cells which, in control acini, were extensively coupled. Uncoupling was associated with an increased basal release of amylase that was at least twice that of controls. By contrast, carbamylcholine (10(-5) M)-induced maximal amylase secretion, cytosolic pH, and free Ca2+, as well as the structure of gap junctions joining the acinar cells, were unaffected. Both uncoupling and the alteration of basal secretion were already observed after only 5 min of exposure to heptanol, they both persisted throughout the 30-min exposure to the alkanols, and were reversible after removal of either heptanol or octanol. Since neither of the two uncouplers appeared to alter unspecifically the secretory machinery and the nonjunctional membrane of acinar cells, the data are consistent with the view that junctional coupling participates in the control of the basal secretion of acinar cells.

A simple method for embedding small specimens for photomicrography and sectioning following intracellular microiontophoresis of lucifer yellow CH

A simple method for the rapid processing of small specimens following intracellular labelling with the fluorescent naphthalimide dye Lucifer Yellow CH is described which involves embedding in glycol methacrylate-based resin on cavity slides. The technique, which may be suitable for other intracellular and extracellular fluorescent markers, permits early fluorescence photomicrography of whole mounts and subsequent recovery of the specimens for serial sectioning and further analysis. In the present study on isolated human eccrine sweat glands, the procedure has facilitated both the identification of cells from which electrical records have been made and the determination of their dye-coupling status.