Importance of the amino acid in position 15 of VIP and secretin in influencing their interactions with membrane receptors on pancreatic acinar cells.

To explore the importance of the charge of the amino acid in position 15 in influencing the apparent affinities of VIP and secretin for their receptors on pancreatic acinar cells, we tested the synthetic C-terminal 23-peptide fragment of secretin (S5-27) and two analogues containing substitutions in position 15 for their abilities to interact with secretin-preferring and VIP-preferring receptors on pancreatic acinar cells. In inhibiting the increase in cyclic AMP caused by VIP acting through the VIP-preferring receptors, 15-Lys-S5-27 was equipotent with 15-Asn-S5-27, and these analogues were significantly more potent than S5-27. In inhibiting the increase in cyclic AMP caused by secretin acting through the secretin-preferring receptors, S5-27 was equipotent with 15-Asn-S5-27, and these peptides were significantly more potent than 15-Lys-S5-27. These findings indicate that the affinities of these 23-peptides for the VIP-preferring receptors and for the secretin-preferring receptors were influenced primarily by the absence of a particular charge in position 15 but not by the presence of the opposite charge.

Evidence against cyclic GMP as a mediator of the actions of secretagogues on amylase release from guinea-pig pancreas.

In dispersed acini from guinea-pig pancrease several pancreatic secretagogues increased calcium outflux, cyclic GMP and amylase secretion, whereas nitroprusside and hydroxylamide increased cyclic GMP but did not increase calcium outflux or amylase secretion and did not alter the action of secretagogues on calcium outflux or amylase secretion. Secretin and vasoactive intestinal peptide increased cyclic AMP and increased secretion but did not alter cyclic GMP. Nitroprusside and hydroxylamine did not alter cyclic AMP or the action of secretin or vasoactive intestinal peptide on cyclic AMP and enzyme secretion. Agents that increased cyclic GMP also caused release of the nucleotide into the extracellular medium; however, this release did not correlate with secretion of amylase into the extracellular medium. 8-Bromo cyclic AMP as well as 8-bromo cyclic GMP increased enzyme secretion and potentiated the increase in enzyme secretion caused by cholecystokinin or carbachol. The increase in amylase secretion caused by vasoactive intestinal peptide or secretin plus either of the cyclic nucleotide derivatives was the same as that caused by the peptide alone. These results indicate that cyclic GMP does not mediate the action of secretagogues on pancreatic enzyme secretion, that the release of cyclic GMP into the extracellular medium does not occur by exocytosis and that the increase in enzyme secretion caused by 8-bromo cyclic GMP results from its ability to mimic the action of endogenous cyclic AMP.

Action of cholera toxin on dispersed acini from guinea pig pancreas.

In dispersed acini from guinea pig pancreas cholera toxin bound reversibly to specific membrane binding sites to increase cellular cyclic AMP and amylase secretion. Cholera toxin did not alter outflux of 45Ca or cellular cyclic AMP. Binding of 125I-labeled cholera toxin could be detected within 5 min; however, cholera toxin did not increase cyclic AMP or amylase release until after 40 min of incubation. There was a close correlation between the dose vs. response curve for inhibition of binding of 125I-labeled cholera toxin by native toxin and the action of native toxin on cellular cyclic AMP. With different concentrations of cholera toxin, maximal stimulation of amylase release occurred when the increase in cellular cyclic AMP was approximately 35% of maximal. Cholera toxin did not alter the increase in 45Ca outflux or cellular cyclic GMP caused by cholecystokinin or carbachol but significantly augmented the increase in cellular cyclic AMP caused by secretin or vasoactive intestinal peptide. The increase in amylase secretion caused by cholera toxin plus secretin or vasoactive intestinal peptide was the same as that with cholera toxin alone. On the other hand, the increase in amylase secretion caused by cholera toxin plus cholecystokinin or carbachol was significantly greater than the sum of the increases caused by each agent alone.

Actions of peptides isolated from amphibian skin on amylase release from dispersed pancreatic acini.

In dispersed acini prepared from guinea pig pancreas, peptides isolated from amphibian skin (caerulein, bombesin, litorin, and physalaemin) as well as eledoisin, a peptide isolated from the posterior salivary gland of a Mediterranean octopod, caused a significant increase in amylase release. Each amphibian peptide potentiated the stimulation of amylase release caused by vasoactive intestinal peptide or secretin in that the increase in amylase release caused by an amphibian peptide plus vasoactive intestinal peptide or secretin was significantly greater than the sum of the increase caused by each secretagogue acting alone. Potentiation of amylase secretion did not occur with an amphibian peptide plus cholecystokinin or carbachol.

Interaction of secretin5-27 and its analogues with hormone receptors on pancreatic acini.

The C-terminal tricosapeptide of secretin (S5-27) and two analogues, one with asparagine replacing aspartic acid in position 15 (15-Asn-S5--27) and one with lysine replacing aspartic acid in position 15 (15-Lys-S5-27) were tested for their abilities to interact with hormone receptors on pancreatic acinar cells. In interacting with the receptors which prefer vasoactive intestinal peptide (vasoactive intestinal peptide-preferring receptors), the apparent affinity of 15-Asn S5-27 was equal to that of 15-Lys-S5-27 and was greater than that of S5-27. In interacting with secretin-preferring receptors, the apparent affinity of 15-Asn-S5--27 was equal to that of S5-27 and was greater than that of 15-Lys-S5-27. In interacting with the secretin-preferring receptors each of the secretin fragments was approximately 2% as effective as secretin in causing an increase in cellular cyclic AMP. None of these fragments was able to cause a detectable increase in cyclic AMP mediated by the vasoactive intestinal peptide-preferring receptors. The dose vs. response curves for the action of secretin and vasoactive intestinal peptide on cellular cyclic AMP and on amylase secretion as well as the pattern of effects of secretin fragments on these actions indicated that the increase in amylase secretion caused by vasoactive intestinal peptide and secretin is mediated exclusively by the vasoactive intestinal peptide-preferring receptors. Furthermore, occupation of approximately 50% of the vasoactive intestinal peptide-preferring receptors is sufficient to cause maximal stimulation of amylase secretion.

Kinetics of amylase release by dispersed acini prepared from guinea pig pancreas.

When incubated with a secretagogue such as cholecystokinin (CCK), dispersed acini prepared from guinea pig pancreas released substantially more amylase than did dispersed single acinar cells. With CCK the rate of amylase release from dispersed acini decreased after 5 min of incubation and remained constant for the subsequent 25 min. The magnitude of the reduction in the rate of amylase release after 5 min was greater with higher concentrations of CCK. With vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), the rate of amylase release remained constant for at least 30 min. With CCK plus VIP, potentiation of the rate of amylase release occurred only during the first 15 min of incubation. After 15 min of incubation, the effects of the two peptides were additive. When dispersed acini were first incubated with CCK, potentiation of amylase release occurred only when VIP was added during the initial 10 min of incubation. In contrast, when cells were first incubated with VIP, potentiation of amylase release occurred when CCK was added as long as 30 min after VIP.