Primary cultures of rat pancreatic acinar cells in complete media and in serum-free media

To determine an adequate model for studying functions of pancreatic acinar cells, acinar cells were primarily cultured either in complete media or in serum-free media for 4 days and the releases and intracellular contents of amylase and lipase of the cells were compared. In addition, secretory responses, reflected as the releases of amylase and lipase, to CCK and to a CCK receptor antagonist L-364,718 were observed after 1 day of culture. As a result, the releases of amylase and lipase from the cells cultured in complete media and in serum-free media reached maximum at 1 day of culture and were maintained through the rest of the culture period. Intracellular contents of amylase and lipase were maintained within the first 1 day of culture and then declined markedly with culture time. However, the releases of amylase and lipase from acinar cells cultured in serum-free media were less than those cultured in complete media. Acinar cells cultured in complete media and in serum-free media responded similarly to CCK (167-223% of cumulative basal release of untreated cells at 10^-9 M CCK) and to L-364,718 (10^-6 M inhibited the CCK stimulation to 49-63%). L-364,718 itself had no effect on the releases of both amylase and lipase. In conclusion, short-term culture of acinar cells would be suitable to study the regulation of pancreatic enzyme secretion and serum factors may not influence secretory response to agonist and antagonist.