• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.307-312
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• 2011

It has been rereported that axons which display 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) immunoreactivity are abundant in the pancreas and the majority of serotonergic axons terminate within intrapancreatic ganglia, islet and acini. This histological result strongly suggests that intrapancreatic serotonergic nerves could affect to the pancreatic endocrine and exocrine secretion. Thus, this study was aimed to investigate whether intrapancreatic serotonergic nerves could affect pancreatic exocrine secretion and an action mechanism of the intrapancreatic serotonergic nerves. The rats were anesthetized with a single injection of urethane. The median line and the abdominal aorta was carefully dissected and cannulated with PE-50 tubing just above the celiac artery, and then tightly ligated just below the superior mesenteric artery. The pancreatic duct was also cannulated with Tygon microbore tubing. With the addition of serotonin, pancreatic volume flow and amylase output were significantly inhibited electrical field stimulation (EFS). On the other hand, pancreatic volume flow and amylase output were significantly elevated in EFS with the addition of spiperone. EFS application, however, pancreatic volume flow and amylase output had no significant change in cholecystokinin (CCK) alone when serotonin was applied under a 5.6 mM glucose background. Pancreatic volume flow and amylase output under 18 mM glucose background were significantly elevated in CCK plus serotonin than in CCK alone. These data suggest that intrapancreatic serotonergic nerves play an inhibitory role in pancreatic exocrine secretion and an important role in the insulin action or release.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.427-432
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• 1999

Although importance of intrapancreatic neurons containing gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) in control of exocrine secretion has been raised, the nature of GRP in the pancreas is unclear. Thus, the present study was undertaken to see distribution, content and molecular heterogeneity of immunoreactive GRP in the rat pancreas. Content of immunoreactive GRP in the rat pancreas was $2.99\;{\pm}\;0.66$ ng/g wet tissues determined by radioimmunoassay. Immunoreactive GRP was most abundantly expressed in the duodenal part among 3 parts of the pancreas; duodenal, body and splenic part. Vagotomy failed to change the content of immunoreactive GRP in the pancreas. Three distinct forms of immunoreactive GRP, very identical to GRP-27, bombesin-24 and neuromedin C, were observed in the rat pancreas by using reversed phase $C_{18}$ HPLC and Sephadex G-50 superfine column chromatography. Cell bodies of neurons containing immunoreactive GRP were scattered in pancreatic connective tissues and their nerve fibers innervated pancreatic acini and large ducts as determined by immunohistochemistry. The present results suggest that three distinct forms of GRP exist in intrapancreatic GRPergic neurons, which exert a stimulatory role in pancreatic exocrine secretion in rats.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.9
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• pp.5133-5139
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• 2013

Background: Perineural invasion (PNI) has been reported as one of the sources of locoregional recurrence in resected pancreatic cancer (PC). However the impact of PNI in resected pancreatic cancer remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between PNI status and clinical outcomes. Methods: Publications were identified which assessed prognostic significance of PNI status in resected pancreatic cancer up to February 2013. A meta-analysis was performed to clarify the association between PNI status and clinical outcomes. Results: A total of 21 studies met the inclusion criteria, covering 4,459 cases. Analysis of these data showed that intrapancreatic PNI was correlated with reduced overall survival only in resected pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients (HR=1.982, 95%CI: 1.526-2.574, p=0.000). Extrapancreatic PNI was correlated with reduced overall survival in all resected pancreatic cancer patients (HR=1.748, 95%CI: 1.372-2.228, p=0.000). Moreover, intrapancreatic PNI status may be associated with tumor recurrence in all resected pancreatic cancer patients (HR=2.714, 95%CI: 1.885-3.906, p=0.000). Conclusion: PNI was an independent and poor prognostic factor in resected PDAC patients. Moreover, intrapancreatic PNI status may be associated with tumor recurrence.