Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0030305 (pancreatitis)
 16,014 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Regulated secretion in exocrine and neuroendocrine cells occurs through exocytosis of secretory granules and the subsequent release of stored small molecules and proteins. The introduction of biophysical techniques with high temporal and spatial resolution, and the identification of Ca(2+)-dependent and -independent "docking" and "fusion" proteins, has greatly enhanced our understanding of exocytosis. The cloning of families of ion channel proteins, including intracellular ion channels, has also revived interest in the role of secretory granule ion channels in exocytotic secretion. Thus secretory granules of pancreatic acinar cell express a ClC-2 Cl(-) channel, a HCO-permeable member of the CLCA Ca(2+)-dependent anion channel family, and a KCNQ1 K(+) channel. Evidence suggests that these channels may facilitate the release of digestive enzymes and/or prevent exocytosed granules from collapsing during "kiss and run" recycling. In pancreatic beta-cells, a granular ClC-3 Cl(-) channel provides a shunt pathway for a vacuolar-type H(+)-ATPase. Acidification "primes" the granules for Ca(2+)-dependent exocytosis and release of insulin. In summary, secretory granules are equipped with specific sets of ion channels, which modulate regulated exocytosis and the release of macromolecules. These channels could represent excellent targets for therapeutic interventions to control exocytotic secretion in relevant diseases, such as pancreatitis, cystic fibrosis, or diabetes mellitus.
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PMID:Ion channels in secretory granules of the pancreas and their role in exocytosis and release of secretory proteins. 1217 23

Potassium channels regulate excitability, epithelial ion transport, proliferation, and apoptosis. In pancreatic ducts, K(+) channels hyperpolarize the membrane potential and provide the driving force for anion secretion. This review focuses on the molecular candidates of functional K(+) channels in pancreatic duct cells, including KCNN4 (KCa 3.1), KCNMA1 (KCa 1.1), KCNQ1 (Kv 7.1), KCNH2 (Kv 11.1), KCNH5 (Kv 10.2), KCNT1 (KCa 4.1), KCNT2 (KCa 4.2), and KCNK5 (K 2P 5.1). We will give an overview of K(+) channels with respect to their electrophysiological and pharmacological characteristics and regulation, which we know from other cell types, preferably in epithelia, and, where known, their identification and functions in pancreatic ducts and in adenocarcinoma cells. We conclude by pointing out some outstanding questions and future directions in pancreatic K(+) channel research with respect to the physiology of secretion and pancreatic pathologies, including pancreatitis, cystic fibrosis, and cancer, in which the dysregulation or altered expression of K(+) channels may be of importance.
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PMID:Molecular basis of potassium channels in pancreatic duct epithelial cells. 2396 92