An in Vitro Study of Pancreatic Ductal Cells

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Abstract
Although pancreatic duct cells were characterized morphologically and histochemically, information on their biochemistry and mechanism is lacking. Selected metabolic parameters in the pancreatic duct of fed and fasted rats were studied. The intact duct was quickly isolated by dissection and opened longitudinally. Twelve ducts were pooled for each study. Fasting for 72 h was associated with decreases in [14C]glucose oxidation to 14CO2 and alkaline phosphatase activity. There were no changes with fasting in the following parmeters: protein, RNA, or DNA content; 14C-labeled amino acid incorporation into proteins; [14C]glucose or [14C]glucosamine incorporation into glycoproteins; Mg2+-ATPase, HCO3--ATPase, 5''-nucleotidase or leucine aminopeptidase activities. In contrast to acinar cells, duct cells did not actively synthesize proteins. Pancreatic duct cells are metabolically active and fasting was associated with reductions in glucose oxidation and alkaline phosphatase activity. Whether these metabolic activities are under the control of gastrointestinal hormones remains to be determined. The significance of the reduction in alkaline phosphatase activity with fasting is not known.