Stimulatory effect of PG-KII, an NK3 tachykinin receptor agonist, on isolated pancreatic acini: species-related differences

More information is needed on the physiological role of the tachykinins (TKs), especially neurokinin(3)-receptor (NK3) agonists, in the pancreas. In this paper we investigated and compared the effect of PG-KII (10(-9) to 10(-6) M), a natural NK3-receptor agonist, with that of the known secretagogues substance P (10(-9) to 10(-6) M), caerulein (10-(11) to 10(-8) M) and carbachol (10(-8) to 10(-5) M), on amylase secretion from dispersed pancreatic acini of the guinea pig and rat. PG-KII (10(-7) M) significantly increased basal amylase release from guinea pig pancreatic acini (from 5.4 +/- 0.9% to 11.3 +/- 0.5%, P < 0.05) but left basal release in the rat unchanged (6.5 &PLUSMN; 0.5%). The stimulant effect of PG-KII on guinea pig acini was significantly reduced by the NK3-receptor antagonist, SR 142801 (5 x 10(-7) M), and left unchanged by the NK1-receptor antagonist, SR 140333 (5 x 10(-7) M). Conversely, substance p (10(-7) M) significantly stimulated amylase secretion from rat and guinea pig acini (12.6 &PLUSMN; 0.6% and 12.1 &PLUSMN; 0.7%, P < 0.05). This stimulated effect of substance P was antagonized by the NK1-receptor antagonist (5 x 10(-7) M), but not by the NK3-receptor antagonist (5 x 10(-7) M). The PG-KII- and substance P-evoked maximal responses were lower than those evoked by caerulein (10(-9) M) (guinea pig, 19.1 +/- 1.3%; rat, 18.2 +/- 0.9%, P < 0.01) and carbachol (10(-5) M) (guinea pig, 23.3 &PLUSMN; 1.2%; rat, 24.0 &PLUSMN; 1.1%, P < 0.01). The inhibitors of phospholipase CU-73122 (10(-5) M), phospholipase A(2) quinacrine (10(-5) M), and protein tyrosine kinase genistein (10(-4) M), partly but significantly inhibited PG-KII, as well as carbachol-stimulated amylase release. Coincubation of PG-KII 10(-7) M with submaximal doses of caerulein (10(-11) to 10(-10) M) and carbachol (10(-7) to 10(-6) M) had an additive effect on amylase release. Pre-incubation with PG-KII (10(-7) M) for 30 min significantly reduced the subsequent amylase response to PG-KII, whereas pre-incubation with caerulein 10(-10) M or carbachol 10(-6) M did not. These findings suggest that PG-KII directly contributes to pancreatic exocrine secretion by interacting with acinar NK3 receptors of the guinea pig but not of the rat. PG-KII signal transduction involves the intracellular phospholipase C, phospholipase A2 and protein tyrosine kinase pathways. The NK3 receptor system cooperates with the other known secretagogues in regulating guinea pig exocrine pancreatic secretion and undergoes rapid homologous desensitization. (C) 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.