Gastrin modulates growth of a rat acinar pancreatic cell line: receptor analysis and signal transduction.

Recent studies have demonstrated the presence of both CCKA and CCKB receptors on dog and guinea pig pancreas. Although CCKA receptors are implicated in enzymatic secretion, biological effects of CCKB receptors are still unknown. We have previously found that a rat acinar pancreatic cell line (AR4-2J) possesses both receptor subtypes. In this work we report the ability of various CCK/gastrin agonists and antagonists to bind with these receptors. We found that gastrin, pentagastrin and Gastrin/CCK4 induce ornithine decarboxylase activity, an early event involved in cell proliferation, as well as 3H-thymidine incorporation. Furthermore, these effects occur at doses at which these peptides interact only with the CCKB receptor subtype. In view of these data we propose that modulation of AR4-2J cell growth by gastrin agonists specifically involve occupation of the CCKB receptor.