Regulated expression of pancreatic renin-angiotensin system in experimental pancreatitis

Our previous studies have provided evidence for the existence of an intrinsic renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in the rat pancreas, which may play a role in the regulation of pancreatic microcirculation and ductal secretion. Such a pancreatic RAS has recently shown to be activated by chronic hypoxia. The activation of a local RAS in the pancreas by chronic hypoxia and its significance of changes may be important for the physiological and pathophysiological aspects of the pancreas. In the present study, the regulation of experimentally induced acute pancreatitis on the expression of local RAS in the pancreas was investigated using Western blot, semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemical approaches. Results from Western blot demonstrated that experimentally induced pancreatitis caused significantly increased expression of the pancreatic RAS component proteins. In keeping with the protein level, RT-PCR analysis also revealed the enhanced expression of pancreatic RAS genes, notably the angiotensinogen in experimental pancreatitis. Immunohistochemical results further demonstrated that increased immunoreactivity for RAS in experimental pancreatitis was predominantly localized to the endothelia and epithelia of pancreatic vasculature and ductal system respectively. The data indicate that experimental pancreatitis may elicit activation of a local RAS in the pancreas. Such an activation of pancreatic RAS and its significance of differential changes in individual RAS components could play a role in the pathophysiology of acute pancreatitis