Atrial Natriuretic Factor (ANF) is Synthetized in the Rat Exocrine Pancreas

NAJENSON AC; BIANCHI M; VENTIMIGLIA M; RODRIGUEZ M; CASCO V; VATTA MS; BIANCIOTTI LG

Boston

Congreso; Experimental Biology; 2015

Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology

Inprevious studies we showed that ANF regulates the exocrine pancreas function inthe rat through NRP-C receptors (Am J Physiol Gastroinetest Liver Physiol.,285:G929, 2003; 292: G349, 2007: Gastroenterology, 149:1292, 2011). We alsoshowed that the rat pancreas expresses the three natriuretic peptide receptorsmRNAs (Am J Physiol Gastroinetest Liver Physiol., 293: G987, 2007).Although the heart is the major source of ANF, extracardiac sites like thegastrointestinal tract and salivary glands have been reported. In the presentstudy we aimed to determine whether ANF is produced in the exocrine pancreas.Sprague-Dawley rats (180-200 g) fasted overnight were used. Followingeuthanasia, pancreas was harvested for immunoblotting, immunofluorescence and RT-PCRassays. Results showed that mRNA ANF was present in the rat pancreas andfurther the peptide was evidenced at the protein level. Immnunofluorescenceassays revealed the presence of ANF in pancreatic acinar cells. Presentfindings support that ANF is produced in the exocrine pancreas and furthersuggest that the atrial peptide may act in a paracrine/autocrine manner onpancreatic cells once released.