Hormonal stimulation of alpha-amylase synthesis in porcine pancreatic minces

Acute pancreatitis following medical abortion: Case report

Background

Acute pancreatitis rarely complicates pregnancy. Although most pregnant women with acute pancreatitis have associated gallstones, less common causes such as drugs have been reported.

Case presentation

We report the case of a 34-year-old woman who underwent medical abortion with mifepristone and gemeprost and received codeine as pain-relief during the induction of abortion. She developed a severe acute necrotizing pancreatitis which required 14 days of intensive care. Other possible etiological factors, i.e. gallstone, alcohol intake and hyperlipidemia, were excluded.

Conclusions

The reported case of acute pancreatitis was most likely drug-induced.

Changes in the synthesis of exportable and nonexportable proteins in parotid glands during aging

The age-related differences in the synthesis of exportable and nonexportable proteins of the parotid salivary gland were compared in 2- and 24-months-old rats. Parotid slices from these rats were incubated in the presence of [14C]leucine and the amount of radioactivity incorporated into the water-soluble proteins of the postmicrosomal supernatant was compared. The exportable and nonexportable proteins were identified by electrophoretic separation of these proteins by comparing the banding patterns of the gel preparations from unstimulated glands to those from the glands stimulated to secrete. The radioactivity determination in various protein bands from these rats indicated that the synthesis of exportable secretory proteins declined with age, while that of nonexportable proteins did not appear to change.

Seasonal fluctuations of pancreatic activities and cyclic nucleotide levels in the frog Rana esculenta

1. Seasonal influence on pancreatic activity has been determined in the frog Rana esculenta. 2. Protein content, amylase activity and cyclic nucleotide levels, show significant changes throughout the year, being higher in the active period (spring, summer), with respect to a constant pancreas weight. 3. A significant correlation between protein content and cyclic AMP levels has been observed. 4. Results suggest that feeding habits exert a control on the pancreatic activity even if stimuli other than food intake cannot be ruled out.

Dietary regulation of pancreatic protein synthesis. I. Rapid and specific modulation of enzyme synthesis by changes in dietary composition

Dietary adaptation of pancreatic protein synthesis and of pancreatic enzyme concentration, was studied over the first 24 h of exposure to a new diet. Rats were adapted to a carbohydrate-rich (G) or to a protein-rich diet (P) and were switched to the opposite regime after a 15 h fast. The evolution of the relative rate of synthesis of amylase, chymotrypsinogen and trypsinogen and of the pancreatic concentration of amylase and chymotrypsinogen were followed. Fasting caused important modifications in the relative rate of synthesis of the three enzymes in rats adapted to a P diet. Adaptative changes in the relative rate of synthesis of amylase, chymotrypsinogen and trypsinogen were seen within 2 h after the beginning of refeeding. These changes were followed by corresponding adaptative modifications in pancreatic contents 4 h after the beginning of refeeding. After 24 h of refeeding, significant adaptative changes had occurred in both the relative rates of synthesis and in enzyme concentrations. Thus exocrine pancreatic protein synthesis can be modulated as early as 2 h after refeeding and this modulation is followed by adaptative changes in pancreatic enzyme content.