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Study could help target new pancreatitis treatments
June 30, 2009Pancreatitis is often a fatal condition, in which the pancreas digests itself and surrounding tissue. Scientists have previously found that alcohol can trigger the condition by combining with fatty acids in the pancreas, which leads to an excessive release of stored calcium ions. Once calcium ions enter cell fluid in the pancreas it activates digestive enzymes and damages the cells.
The team, in collaboration with the RIKEN Brain Science Institute in Japan, have now identified channels within special stores that allow calcium to enter the fluid inside pancreatic cells. They have also found that toxic calcium release can be significantly reduced if the gene responsible for the production of these channels is 'deleted' (or knocked-out).
Professor Ole Petersen, from the University's School of Biomedical Sciences, explains: "The pancreas releases enzymes into the gut, where they become activated and digest our food. When these digestive enzymes are activated inside the cells, however, they start to digest the pancreas itself, causing serious damage and often death. Alcohol is widely recognised as one of the triggers for this process, but the reasons behind it have been unclear.
"We now know that alcohol, in combination with fatty acids, can produce substances that cause an excessive increase in calcium ions in the pancreatic cell water. We have found that this excessive build-up is caused by the movement of calcium ions from special calcium stores into the cell water, which activate digestive enzymes from within the cell. Our new research identifies the channels through which calcium movement occurs and importantly the genes which are responsible for the production of these channels.
"This work highlights the dangers of excessive drinking; the higher the levels of alcohol in the blood, the higher the risk of pancreatitis. Now that we have identified the genes that can control the condition, we should be able to develop more successful treatments for the disease."
University of Liverpool
"We now know that alcohol, in combination with fatty acids, can produce substances that cause an excessive increase in calcium ions in the pancreatic cell water. We have found that this excessive build-up is caused by the movement of calcium ions from special calcium stores into the cell water, which activate digestive enzymes from within the cell. Our new research identifies the channels through which calcium movement occurs and importantly the genes which are responsible for the production of these channels.
"This work highlights the dangers of excessive drinking; the higher the levels of alcohol in the blood, the higher the risk of pancreatitis. Now that we have identified the genes that can control the condition, we should be able to develop more successful treatments for the disease."
University of Liverpool
Pancreatitis Current Events and Pancreatitis News RSSA case of post-gastrectomy acute pancreatitis
Gastrectomy is commonly performed for both benign and malignant lesions. Although the incidence of post-gastrectomy acute pancreatitis (PGAP) is low compared to other well-recognized post-operative complications, it has been reported to be associated with a high mortality rate.
ERCP quality outcomes in a community hospital setting compare favorably with academic centers
A new study from researchers in Minnesota found that endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) performed in a community hospital setting results in complication rates that compare favorably with those of academic centers while achieving technical success at or above the performance levels recommended by the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE)/American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) Task Force.
Endothelin-1 inhibitors in chronic pancreatitis
Fibrosis is a key feature of chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer. The extensive deposition of extracellular matrix proteins fosters the development of an exocrine and endocrine organ insufficiency, and accelerates progression of the tumour.
Perform non-radiation ERCP during pregnancy: Is it safe?
Hormonal changes during pregnancy increase the lithogenicity of bile and impair gallbladder emptying, which create a favorable environment for gallstone formation.
Genetically engineered mice don't get obese, but do develop gallstones
Obesity and gallstones often go hand in hand. But not in mice developed at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Even when these mice eat high-fat diets, they don't get fat, but they do develop gallstones.
Popular diabetes treatment could trigger pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer
A drug widely used to treat Type 2 diabetes may have unintended effects on the pancreas that could lead to a form of low-grade pancreatitis in some patients and a greater risk of pancreatic cancer in long-term users, UCLA researchers have found.
Study examines radiation dose estimates for pregnant women undergoing therapeutic ERCP
Pregnant women with gallstone disease may require immediate endoscopic intervention because of potentially life-threatening cholangitis (infection in the bile ducts) or gallstone pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas).
An herbal extract inhibits the development of pancreatic cancer
An herb recently found to kill pancreatic cancer cells also appears to inhibit development of pancreatic cancer as a result of its anti-inflammatory properties, according to researchers from the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson.
U-M researchers ID gene involved in pancreatic cancer
Researchers from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center have identified a gene that is overexpressed in 90 percent of pancreatic cancers, the most deadly type of cancer.
Should intra-abdominal pressure measurement be a routine for all pancreatitis patients?
Acute pancreatitis remains a disease with an unpredictable clinical course, and significant associated morbidity and mortality. Recently, the elevated intraabdominal pressure (IAP) after onset of acute pancreatitis has gained growing attention, because it is increasingly recognized as an important risk factor for mortality in the early phase of the disease.
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