AJP - Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology, Vol 254, Issue 5 664-G670, Copyright © 1988 by American Physiological Society

ARTICLES

Visualization of amylase secretion from individual pancreatic acini

D. Bosco, M. Chanson, R. Bruzzone and P. Meda
Institute of Histology and Embryology, University of Geneva Medical School, Switzerland.

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.

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