Cholinergic intrapancreatic neurons induce Ca2+ signaling and early-response gene expression in pancreatic acinar cells

Pancreatic exocrine function has been demonstrated to be under neuronal reg ulation. The pathways responsible for this effect, and the long-term conseq uences of such interactions, are incompletely described. The effects of neu ronal depolarization on pancreatic acinar cells were studied to determine w hether calcium signaling and c-fos expression were activated. In pancreatic lobules, which contain both neurons and acinar cells, agonists that select ively stimulated neurons increased intracellular calcium in acinar cells. D epolarization also led to the expression of c-fos protein in 24% +/- 4% of the acinar cells. In AR42J pancreatic acinar cells, cholinergic stimulation demonstrated an average increase of 398 +/- 19 nmol/L in intracellular cal cium levels, and induced c-fos expression that was time and dose dependent. The data indicate that intrapancreatic neurons induce Ca2+ signaling and e arly-response gene expression in pancreatic acinar cells.