Redifferentiation and apoptosis of pancreatic cells during acute pancreatitis.

The pancreatic cells reorganize their genetic program in a rapid and precise manner during the course of pancreatitis. These phenotypic changes probably confer increased resistance to acute pancreatitis. Then, understanding the mechanism and the finality of these changes can allow us to act earlier and more efficiently against acute pancreatitis with the development of rational therapeutic strategies. Two major phenotypic changes that occur during acute pancreatitis are the appearance of stem cells and activation of the apoptotic program of the acinar cells. In this article I discuss a recent observation about origin and pluripotency of the tubular complex-forming cells during the postacute period of pancreatitis. In addition, I summarize our knowledge on apoptosis in the pancreatic cells, particularly during acute pancreatitis.