Pancreatic reg gene expression is inhibited during cellular differentiation

Background and Objective: Factors that control pancreatic regenerating (reg I) gene expression are unknown, but it is believed that its expression may correspond with cellular differentiation. The authors recently demonstrated that reg I is expressed in AR42J, a rat acinar cell line whose state of differentiation can be modulated by dexamethasone. They used this line to study reg I expression during cellular proliferation and differentiation. Methods: After treatment of cells with 10 nmol/L dexamethasone, proliferation was assayed by thymidine incorporation; differentiation by expression of elestase I mRNA. Reg I mRNA levels were measured using a rat reg I cDNA probe, and reg I protein levels assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of cellular lysates with a polyclonal antibody. The effect of gastrin, cholecystokinin and glucagon on reg I expression was also studied. Results: When compared with controls, treatment with dexamethasone caused thymidine incorporation to decrease and elastase mRNA levels to increase. Reg I mRNA decreased from controls of 100 ± 16% to 40 ± 18% (p < 0.05), and reg I protein levels decreased as well. Gastrointestinal hormones had no significant effect on either elastase or reg I gene expression. Conclusions: Expression of reg I inversely correlates with the level of cellular differentiation, can be modulated via the glucocorticoid receptor, and is a potential marker of gastrointestinal epithelial differentiation. Despite its presence within a pancreatic acinar cell line, reg I gene expression is not modulated by gastrointestinal hormones.