Relationship between different death ways of pancreatic acinar cells and release of intracellular enzymes in acute pancreatitis

Objective To observe the apoptosis or oncosis of pancreatic acinar cells of different severity of acute pancreatitis (AP) and the release level of enzymes in vitro, and to investigate the relationship between them. Methods Two-step enzymatic digestion method was used to separate pancreatic acinar cells into 4 groups. 0. 1 μg/ml of the caerulein was added in the AP group. Caerulein and LPS (bacterial lipopolysaccharide, 10 mg/L) were added in LPS group. Caerulein and OCT (octreotide, 100 ng/ml) were added in OCT group. Medium was added in the control group. AO (acridine orange) and EB (ethidium bromide) double staining method was used to detect the incidence of apoptosis or oncosis of acinar cell. The release of intracellular enzyme was detected by measuring the concentrations of amylase and LDH in cell culture media by colorimetry method. Results The apoptosis index was 2.2 + 0.4, 6.4 ± 0.6, 4.6 + 0.4, 11.2 +1.2 in the control group, AP group, LPS group, OCT group; while the oncosis index was 3.0 +0.4, 17.2 ±1.6, 23.0 ± 2.2, 12.8 ± 1.4 in the control group, AP group, LPS group, OCT group; the release of LDH was (2180 ±240), (8060 ±930), (9460 +920), (6860 ±740) U/dl, the level of amylase was (1750 ± 190),(3820 ±460), (4420 ±480), (2260 ±260)U/L. All the values in the experiment groups were significantly higher than that in control group ( P ＜ 0.05 ). The oncosis index, LDH, amylase in LPS group was significantly higher than that in AP group ( P ＜ 0.05 ), but the apoptosis index in LPS group was significantly lower than that in AP group ( P ＜ 0.05 ). The apoptosis index in OCT group was significantly higher than that in AP group ( P ＜ 0. 05 ), but the oncosis index, LDH, amylase was significantly lower than that in AP group ( P ＜ 0. 05 ).Conclusions Induction of apoptosis and reduction of oncosis in AP pancreatic acinar cells can reduce the release of enzyme in acinar cells. Key words: Pancreatitis;  Cell death;  Apoptosis;  Amylases