Objectives: Adequate organ perfusion, as well as appropriate blood pressure levels at the time of unclamping, is crucial for early and long-term graft function and outcome in simultaneous pancreas–kidney transplantation (SPKT). However, the optimal intraoperative mean arterial pressure (MAP) level has not well been defined. Methods: From a prospectively collected database, the medical data of 105 patients undergoing SPKT at our center were retrospectively analyzed. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was preliminarily performed for optimal cut-off value for MAP at reperfusion, to predict early pancreatic graft function. Due to these results, we divided the patients according to their MAP values at reperfusion into <91 mmHg (n = 47 patients) and >91 mmHg (n = 58 patients) groups. Clinicopathological characteristics and outcomes, as well as early graft function and long-term survival, were retrospectively analyzed. Results: Donor and recipient characteristics were comparable between both groups. Rates of postoperative complications were significantly higher in the <91 mmHg group than those in the >91 mmHg group (vascular thrombosis of the pancreas: 7 (14%) versus 2 (3%); p = 0.03; pancreatitis/intraabdominal abscess: 10 (21%) versus 4 (7%); p = 0.03; renal delayed graft function (DGF): 11 (23%) versus 5 (9%); p = 0.03; postreperfusion urine output: 106 ± 50 mL versus 195 ± 45 mL; p = 0.04). There were no significant differences in intraoperative volume repletion, central venous pressure (CVP), use of vasoactive inotropic agents, and the metabolic outcome. Five-year pancreas graft survival was significantly higher in the >91 mmHg group (>91 mmHg: 82% versus <91 mmHg: 61%; p < 0.01). No significant differences were observed in patient and kidney graft survival at 5 years between both groups. Multivariate Cox regression analysis affirmed MAP < 91 mmHg as an independent prognostic predictor for renal DGF (HR 3.49, 1.1–10.8, p = 0.03) and pancreas allograft failure (HR 2.26, 1.0–4.8, p = 0.01). Conclusions: A MAP > 91 mmHg at the time point of reperfusion was associated with a reduced rate of postoperative complications, enhancing and recovering long-term graft function and outcome and thus increasing long-term survival in SPKT recipients.

Background/Objectives: The sequence of graft implantation in simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation (SPKT) warrants additional study and more targeted focus, since little is known about the short- and long-term effects on the outcome and graft survival after transplantation. Material and methods: 103 patients receiving SPKT in our department between 1999 and 2015 were included in the study. Patients were divided according to the sequence of graft implantation into pancreas-first (PF, n = 61) and kidney-first (KF, n = 42) groups. Clinicopathological characteristics, outcome and survival were reviewed retrospectively. Results: Donor and recipient characteristics were similar. Rates of post-operative complications and graft dysfunction were significantly higher in the PF group compared with the KF group (episodes of acute rejection within the first year after SPKT: 11 (18%) versus 2 (4.8%); graft pancreatitis: 18 (18%) versus 2 (4.8%), p = 0.04; vascular thrombosis of the pancreas: 9 (14.8%) versus 1 (2.4%), p = 0.03; and delayed graft function of the kidney: 12 (19.6%) versus 2 (4.8%), p = 0.019). The three-month pancreas graft survival was significantly higher in the KF group (PF: 77% versus KF: 92.1%; p = 0.037). No significant difference was observed in pancreas graft survival five years after transplantation (PF: 71.6% versus KF: 84.8%; p = 0.104). Kidney graft survival was similar between the two groups. Multivariate analysis revealed order of graft implantation as an independent prognostic factor for graft survival three months after SPKT (HR 2.6, 1.3–17.1, p = 0.026) and five years (HR 3.7, 2.1–23.4, p = 0.040). Conclusion: Our data indicates that implantation of the pancreas prior to the kidney during SPKT has an influence especially on the early-post-operative outcome and survival rate of pancreas grafts.

No description available.

Islet transplantation has found its niche in diabetes treatment. It has contributed to a better quality of life and better glycemic control of patients with diabetes suffering from severe hypoglycemia that are not eligible for vascularized pancreas transplantation. Islet isolation is a technically challenging procedure. The different studies within this doctoral thesis aim to improve and standardize different steps in the isolation procedure. They are in particular looking to improve human pancreas preservation during cold storage, to optimize islet release from the exocrine tissue and to assess whether the isolated islet yield can be predicted from a biopsy. We found that pancreas preservation with pre-oxygenated perfluorodecalin (two-layer method) did not improve the ischemic tolerance of the human pancreas as compared to cold storage with the University of Wisconsin (UW) solution. Furthermore, in pancreas with long cold ischemia time (CIT) (&gt;10 hours), Histidine-Tryptophan-Ketoglutarate (HTK) had a limited preservation capacity as compared with the UW solution with respect to isolation outcome. We also found that during enzymatic pancreas digestion, Vitacyte HA was able to provide a similar islet yield and quality as Serva NB1 with less collagenase activity and shorter digestion time. We further describe the first experience with a new GMP manufactured enzyme called Liberase MTF-S for successful human islet isolation. Finally, we found that the isolated islet yield could not be predicted from a biopsy taken from the head of the pancreas concerning solely morphological parameters of the islets tissue. The improvement of pancreas preservation will allow for marginal organs with prolonged cold ischemia time to expand the donor pool. Better knowledge of how the pancreatic extracellular matrix is digested by collagenase will lead to a fast and predictable islet release from the exocrine tissue. By standardizing the isolation procedure and improving organ selection we will increase the success rate in human islet isolation, thereby making islet transplantation available for more patients.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is synonymous with "B-cell failure". Ligation of the pancreatic duct distally to its confluence into the bile duct has been shown to induce endocrine tissue regeneration from a number of probable sources. The cells responsible for regeneration are supposed to possess either dormant pluripotent stem cell ability and/or the plasticity to undergo metaplasia to form new and surplus endocrine tissue able to replace pathologically and/or experimentally compromised pancreas. The sequence of events (cell lineage) during this process of neogenesis, has been the source of controversy for quite some time as various studies suggest that the cell lineage differs from in vivo and in vitro studies, according to experimental model and species of laboratory animal. The object of this study was to utilise an established experimental laboratory animal model to study islet morphological changes, neogenesis and or both in vivo. Further aims of the study were to determine the extent, sequence and magnitude of pancreatic duct ligation (PDL) induced endocrine neogenesis/morphogenesis in a laboratory rat model using occlusive pancreatic duct ligation. PDL's were performed on six groups of 25 normal adult Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats (300g+) according to the method of Hultquist and Jonsson (1965). Experimental animals were sacrificed at 12 hr intervals from day one post-PDL to day 10 and every 24 hrs thereafter to day 14 as described by Wang, Klëppel, Bouwens (1995). Animals received BrdU (a thymidine marker and cell proliferation indicator) 50mglkg intraperitoneally as described by Wang et al. (1995), one hour prior to removal of the pancreas after which it was fixed in Bouin's solution and histologically processed. Seven consecutive 3-6 urn thick serial sections were sequentially stained with H & E, insulin (I), glucagon (G), somatostatin (ST), pancreatic polypeptide (PP), neuropeptide tyrosine (NPY) and peptide tyrosine tyrosine (PYY). Immunolabeling was done according to the method of Guesdon, Temynck , Avrameas (1979). Double immunolabeling for BrdU and each pancreatic peptide was performed on the sections on days 3,5, 7, 9 and 11 as described by Wang et al (1994). Cellular transformation between one and 3Yz days was characterised by simultaneous total deletion and/or transdifferentiation of the acinar compartment and the appearance of immunoreactive cells for I (11.53 ±1.5%), G (1.85 ±0.8%), pp (1.50 ±0.09%), and ST (1.96 ±0.24%). Changes in the endocrine composition in existing islets, occurred along a pathway that saw PP- and ST-cells invading the islet core, islet mantle glucagon deletion and random appearance of all endocrine cell types within the inter-islet interstitium on day 3Yz. Days 4 to 6Yz saw further endocrine expansion while days 7 to 14 were distinguished by islet reconstitution and consolidation. NPY immunoreactivity appeared on day 4Y2 and persisted intermittently throughout while PVV first appeared on day 4 and disappeared after day 7Yz. The results suggest that PDL firstly induced the development of endocrine tissue distributed haphazardly throughout the space previously occupied by acinar parenchyma. Secondly, the appearance of insulin is preceded by the appearance of PP, glucagon and somatostatin by 24-hours. A still to be determined proportion of the ligation induced endocrine formation appeared to be associated with existing islets, resulting in a number of very large islets, some of which might have secretory access through the glomerularlike capillary network known to occupy the islet core. The remainder appeared to form separate "new" islets, which have a dubious access to the blood stream. In conclusion, if it is true that the pancreas can regenerate some of its endocrine tissue then it has potential clinical implication for the stabilising of diabetes mellitus. Ligated exocrine pancreatic tissue, devoid of its acinar component, has been shown to contain notable quantities of insulin positive cells. This presents intriguing possibilities as an alternative for donor tissue, usually obtained from rat foetuses, during foetal rat pancreas transplantation studies. Pancreas tissue harvested from duct ligated rats could replace the foetal tissue currently used in the treatment of experimental diabetes mellitus in laboratory animals in this laboratory. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Diabetes Mellitus is sinoniem met B-sel disfunksie. Endokriene regenerasie kan segmenteel bewerkstellig word deur eksperimentele afbinding van die pankreasbuis distaal tot sy samesmelting met die gemene galbuis. 'n Verskeidenheid van selle word vermoedelik by hierdie proses betrek. Dormante stamselle besit die vermoë en/of plastisiteit om 'n aantal vorms van metaplasie te ondergaan om nuwe en/of oortollige endokriene weefsel te vorm wat patologiese en/of eksperimenteel gekompromiseerde weefsel vervang. Die selontwikkelings volgorde wat tydens hierdie proses plaasvind is al vir 'n geruime tyd die middelpunt van 'n meningsverskil. Sommige studies dui daarop dat die in vivo selontwikkelingsvolgorde verskil van in vitro, volgens eksperimentele model en tipe proefdier gebruik. Die doel van die studie was die gebruik van 'n bestaande eksperimentele laboratorium proefdier model om pankreas eiland morfologiese verandering en/ofneogenese of beide in vivo te evalueer. Die oogmerk van die studie was om die omvang en volgorde van veranderings in die endokriene kompartement (neogenese/morfogenese) te bepaal deur gebruik te maak van 'n pankreas buis afbindings (PBA) model wat totale afsnyding van die buis tot gevolg het. PBA's is uitgevoer op ses groepe van 25 volwasse normale Sprague-Dawley (SD) laboratorium rotte (±300g) soos beskryf deur Hultquist en Jonsson (1965). Proefdiere is elke 12 uur geoffer vanaf dag een post-PBA tot dag tien en elke 24 uur daarna tot dag 14 soos beskryf deur Wang, Bouwens, Kloppel (1995) na die toediening van 50 mg/kg 5-Bromo-2-deoksi-uridien intraperitoneaal ('n selprolifererings aanduider) soos beskryf deur Wang et al. (1995). Die pankreas is werwyder, in Bouin se oplossing gefikseer en histologies geprosesseer. Sewe openvolgende seriesnitte (3-6 urn) is alternatiewelik gekleur met H & E, en immunositochemies, soos beskryf deur Guesdon, Terugnek, Avrameas (1979), vir insulien (I), glukagon (G), somatostatien (ST), pankreatiesepolipeptied (PP), neuropeptied tirosien (NPY) en peptied tirosien-tirosien (PYY). BrdU dubbel-immuunkleuring is ingesluit op dae 3,5, 7, 9 en 11 soos beskryf deur Wang et al. (1994). Sellulêre transformasie tussen dae een en 3~ dae is gekenmerk deur gelyktydige en totale uitwissing en/ofmetaplasie van die asinêre kompartement en die verskyning van selle immunorektiefvir I(11.53 ±1.5%), G (1.85 ±0.8%), PP (1.50 ±0.09%), ST (1.96 ±0.24%). Metaplasie was verantwoordelik vir merkbare veranderings in bestaande endokriene weefsel langs In transformasie weg waar eiland insulien kemselle vervang is deur PP- en ST-selle, glukagon buitelaag uitwissing en die toevallige verskyning van alle endokriene seltipes in the inter-eiland interstitium teen dag 3Y2. Dae 4Y2deur 6~ is gekenmerk deur verdere endokrinetoename terwyl dag 7 deur 14 gekenmerk is deur eiland hersamestelling en konsolidering. NPY immunoreaktiwiteit was vanaf dag 4~, met afwisseling, te bespeur terwyl PVV slegs tussen dae 4 en 7 In verskyning gemaak het. . Die resultate suggereer eerstens, PBA induseer die ontwikkeling van oortollige endokriene weefsel op In lukrake wyse versprei deur die ruimte voorheen deur asinêre parenchiem beset. Tweedens, dat die verskyning van insulien deur dié van PP, glukagon en somatostatien met minstens 24-uur voorafgegaan is. Die verhouding, van nuutgevormde endokriene weefsel wat met bestaande eilande assosieer om In aantal baie groot eilande te vorm, moet nog vasgestel word. Sulke strukture mag moontlik afskeidings toegang hê tot die bloedstroom, deur die glomerulusagtige kapillêre netwerk, in die eilandkern teenwoordig terwyl die oorblywende nuutgevormde endokrine weefsel "nuwe" apparte eilande vorm wat wel of gladnie toegang tot die bloedstroom mag hê nie. As gevolgtrekking, indien dit waar is dat volwasse pankreas eilandweefsel wel regenerasie kan ondergaan, dan het dit kliniese implikasie vir die stabilisering van diabetes mellitus. Weefsel verkry uit PBA bevat geen asinêre weefsel nie maar wel merkbare hoeveelhede endokriene weefsel, veral insulin positief. Dit bied dan interessante alternatiewe as skenker weefsel by fetal rot pankreas oorplantings. PBA en/of die oorplanting van pankreasbuis afgebinde weefsel, na in vitro weefsel kultuur, bied moontlikhede vir die behandeling van diabetes mellitus.

No description available.

Die Ätiologie von entzündlichen Pankreaserkrankungen, insbesondere bei den idiopathischen Pankreatitiden, ist weitgehend noch nicht verstanden. In der folgenden Arbeit sollen immunologische und molekularbiologische Aspekte zu Pankreaserkrankungen unter Berücksichtigung eigener Untersuchungen dargestellt werden. Zu Beginn unserer Arbeit haben wir untersucht inwieweit immunologische Veränderungen an der Entstehung einer chronischen Pankreatitis beteiligt sind. Wir fanden eine systemische Aktivierung des zellulären Immunsystems, ohne dass sich Unterschiede zwischen idiopathischer und alkoholtoxischer Pankreatitis ergaben. Im folgenden haben wir uns mit dem molekularbiologischen Hintergrund von entzündlichen und malignen Pankreaserkrankungen beschäftigt. Eine genetische Modellerkrankung ist die hereditäre Pankreatitis, deren genetische Ursache 1996 mit der Entdeckung zweier Mutationen im kationischen Trypsinogen entschlüsselt wurde. Mit der Identifizierung einer neuen Mutation im kationischen Trypsinogen und deren funktionellen Charakterisierung konnten wir hier zum weiteren Verständnis dieser Erkrankung beitragen. Weitere Untersuchungen beschäftigten sich mit dem genetischen Hintergrund bei Patienten mit idiopathischer Pankreatitis. Bei etwa 30% dieser Patienten fanden wir ein abnormales Allel im Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) Gen und bei einzelnen Patienten einen Polymorphismus im Serine Proteasen Inhibitor (SPINK1) Gen. Das zunehmende Wissen um genetische Veränderungen und deren Folgen setzt auch eine kritische Auseinandersetzung mit ethischen und rechtlichen Fragen voraus. Daher wurden während einer internationalen Konsensus Konferenz Richtlinien zum Umgang mit diesen Fragen erarbeitet. Die Assoziation von UGT1A7*3 Polymorphismus, welches ein Phase II Protein mit niedriger katalytischer Entgiftungsaktivität im Xenobiotika Stoffwechsel kodiert, mit dem Auftreten von Pankreaserkrankungen war Gegenstand weiterer Untersuchungen. Hierzu untersuchten wir Patienten mit alkoholischer chronischer Pankreatitis, Patienten mit einer SPINK1 Mutation und gesunde Kontrollen. Darüberhinaus betrachteten wir ein Kollektiv von Patienten mit einem Pankreaskarzinom. Unsere Ergebnisse belegen einen synergistischen negativen Effekt von exogenen Risikofaktoren (Alkohol, Nikotin) und genetischer Prädisposition. Die Rolle des oxidativen Stresses in der Genese von Pankreaserkrankungen wird damit untermauert. Erste therapeutische Ansätze aus den gewonnenen Erkenntnisses haben wir in einer prospektiven Studie mit einer immunmodulierenden und antioxidativ wirksamen Glutaminsubstitution bei Patienten mit akuter Pankreatitis gezeigt. Die Glutaminsubstitution führte zu einem besseren Krankheitsverlauf. / The etiology of inflammatory and malignat pancreatic disease are poorly understood. This thesis will discuss our results of immunological and genetic investigations in patients with inflammatory and malignat pancreatic diseases. Especially the background of idiopathic pancreatitis will be discussed. We started our investigations with immunological investigations and demonstrated an evidence for a systemic activated cellular immune system in patients with chronic pancreatitis irrespectively of the aetiology of pancreatitis. Further studies deal with the genetic background of pancreatitis. The discovery of the association between a mutation of the cationic trypsinogen gene and the hereditary pancreatitis was a milestone in the modern pancreatology. We contribute to the understanding of this disease by detecting a new mutation (D22G). We were able to functional characterise this mutation. Mutation of the activation peptides (D22G, K23R) are related to an increased release of trypsin in hydrolisation studies in vitro. In addition, our further investigations confirmed and extended the knowledge of the role of mutation in the CFTR gene and the SPINK 1 gene in patients with 'idiopathic' pancreatitis. Cognisant of the ethical and clinical responsibilities guidelines for the genetic testing and managing of patients with genetic diseases of the pancreas were developed. The low detoxification activity UGT1A7*3 polymorphism has been identified as a novel risk factor of pancreatic inflammatory and malignant diseases defining the interaction of genetic predisposition and environmentally induced oxidative injury. Based on this data we conducted a prospective, randomised clinical trial on the supplementation with glutamine in patients with acute pancreatitis shedulded for total parenteral nutrition. The administration of glutamine, which has been shown to have an immune-modulating and antioxidative capacity, was associated with a favourable clinical course of the patiens receiving glutamine.

Introdução: O pâncreas é um órgão suscetível a lesões de isquemia-reperfusão (I/R). Estratégias terapêuticas para reduzir os danos produzidos pela I/R podem melhorar os resultados nos transplantes de pâncreas-rim. Apesar dos efeitos hemorreológicos da pentoxifilina, esta droga tem ação anti-inflamatória através da inibição da ativação de NF-kB e da produção de TNF-alfa. Foi demonstrado previamente que a pentoxifilina diminui a resposta inflamatória em modelos experimentais de pancreatite aguda e I/R hepática. Assim, a pentoxifilina pode contribuir na redução da lesão pancreática e da reposta inflamatória sistêmica em um modelo de I/R pancreática. Objetivo: Avaliar o efeito da administração de pentoxifilina em um modelo experimental de I/R pancreática em ratos. Métodos: A I/R pancreática foi realizada em sessenta ratos Wistar, por um período de uma hora através da oclusão da artéria esplênica. Os animais deste experimento foram divididos em três grupos: Grupo 1 (sham; realizado procedimento cirúrgico sem indução da I/R), grupo 2 (controle; realizado indução da I/R) que recebeu solução salina por via endovenosa e grupo 3 (pentoxifilina; realizado indução da I/R associado ao tratamento) que recebeu pentoxifilina (25mg/kg) por via endovenosa. Foram colhidas amostras de sangue para dosagem de amilase, creatinina, ureia, fator de necrose tumoral ? (TNF-alfa), interleucina-6 (IL-6) e interleucina-10 (IL-10). Os níveis de malondialdeído (MDA) pancreático, da mieloperoxidase (MPO) pulmonar e a histologia pancreática também foram avaliados. Resultados: A inibição do TNF-alfa pela pentoxifilina apresentou efeitos benéficos neste modelo experimental. O grupo de animais tratados com pentoxifilina apresentou níveis séricos significantemente menores de TNF-alfa, IL-6 e IL-10 em comparação ao grupo controle (p < 0,05). Não foram observadas diferenças significantes entre estes grupos em relação aos níveis de amilase, creatinina, ureia, MDA pancreático e MPO pulmonar. Entretanto, no grupo de animais tratados com pentoxifilina, o dano histológico pancreático foi menor em comparação ao grupo controle (p < 0,05). Conclusão: A administração de pentoxifilina reduziu a resposta inflamatória sistêmica e a lesão histológica pancreática / Introduction: The pancreas is an organ extremely susceptible to periods of ischemia. Therapeutic strategies to reduce the occurrence of pancreatic ischemiareperfusion (I/R) injury might improve outcomes in human pancreas and kidney transplantation. In addition to its haemorrheologic effects, pentoxifylline has an antiinflammatory effect by inhibiting NF-?B activation and TNF-alfa production. It has been previously demonstrated that pentoxifylline induces an anti-inflammatory response in acute pancreatitis and liver I/R models. This led to the hypothesis that pentoxifylline might reduce pancreatic lesion and the systemic inflammatory response in pancreatic I/R injury. Objective: The aim of this experimental study was to evaluate the effect of pentoxifylline administration in a rat model of pancreatic I/R injury. Methods: Pancreatic I/R was performed in sixty Wistar rats over one hour by clamping the splenic vessels. The animals of this study were divided into three groups: group 1 (sham, surgical procedure without pancreatic I/R induction), group 2 (control, I/R induction) received saline solution administered intravenously, and group 3 (pentoxifylline, I/R induction plus treatment) rats received pentoxifylline (25 mg/kg) administered intravenously. Blood samples were collected to enable the determination of amylase, creatinine, urea, tumour necrosis factor-? (TNF-alfa), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-10 (IL-10). Pancreatic malondialdehyde (MDA) content, pulmonary myeloperoxidase (MPO) and pancreas histology were also assessed. Results: Inhibition of TNF-alfa by pentoxifylline shows beneficial effects in this experimental model. Significant reductions in serum TNF-?, IL-6 and IL-10 were observed in pentoxifylline group compared with control group (p < 0.05). No significant differences in serum amylase, creatinine, urea, pancreatic MDA or pulmonary MPO were observed between these two groups. However, the pancreatic histological damage was significantly lower in pentoxifylline treated group compared with control group (p < 0,05). Conclusion: Pentoxifylline administration reduced the systemic inflammatory response and the pancreatic histological lesion

Human pancreatic beta cells are susceptible to infection by enteroviruses, especially Coxsackie B viruses, and such infections could contribute to the development of Type 1 diabetes. Enteroviruses gain entry via cell surface receptors, one of which, the Coxsackie and Adenovirus receptor (CAR), is a transmembrane cell adhesion protein which serves as a key entry receptor for Coxsackie B viruses and is thought to be localised mainly within regions where contacts are formed between adjacent cells. CAR exists as at least 5 isoforms and this study has examined their expression profile and distribution in the human pancreas utilising; formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded pancreatic sections from non-diabetic individuals, type 1 diabetes patients and a human tissue microarray. Isolated human islets, human pancreatic beta and ductal cell lines were also studied. Immunological and molecular approaches were employed to examine the expression and cellular localisation of the known CAR isoforms in human pancreas. One specific isoform of CAR (CAR-SIV) with a unique C terminal PDZ binding domain, was highly expressed in human beta cells at the protein level. Surprisingly, it was distributed in a punctate manner mainly within the cytoplasm of the cells, rather than at the cell surface. In human beta cells, within the cytoplasm CAR-SIV co-localised with ZnT8, PC1/3 and insulin but less so with proinsulin suggesting that CAR-SIV is associated with insulin secretory granules. Immunogold labelling and electron microscopic analysis revealed that CAR-SIV is localised both to maturing insulin secretory granules and to fully mature, dense-core (insulin) secretory granules. Intriguingly, CAR-SIV colocalises and interacts with a cytosolic protein, PICK1, which plays a role in the budding, maturation and trafficking of insulin secretory granules. On this basis, a model is proposed whereby CAR-SIV and PICK1 interact to regulate the maturation and trafficking of insulin secretory granules. Overall, this study suggests that the specialised role and subcellular localisation of CAR-SIV in human beta cells may contribute to their sensitivity to enteroviral infection following externalisation of the protein at the cell surface, during insulin exocytosis.

Ce travail scientifique a abordé la problématique de la communication cellulaire entre le pancréas exocrine et endocrine dans la mucoviscidose. La contribution des infections pulmonaires chroniques et des traitements immunosuppresseurs sur la dégénerescence pancréatique a été aussi étudiée. Les résultats obtenus ont montré que le LPS disséminé par des infections récurrentes peut cibler les cellules pancréatiques exocrines, en conduisant à la formation des microparticules membranaires qui sont nuisibles pour la survie et le fonctionnement des cellules endocrines. Dans cette communication intercellulaire, la protéine CFTR est un médiateur essentiel de la sévérité des signaux délivrés par les microparticules et de la réponse cellulaire à l'inflammation du pancréas, en participant à l'équilibre de la sécrétion d'insuline des cellules endocrines. En outre, les données ont mis en évidence que l'administration prolongée d’immunosuppresseurs chez les patients greffés pourrait différemment induire l'apoptose de manière dépendante de la mitochondrie, cela en favorisant l'entrée des cellules en sénescence prématurée, un état métabolique du dysfonctionnement cellulaire. / This scientific work tackled the issue of the communication between exocrine and endocrine pancreas in cystic fibrosis. Also, the contribution of recurrent lung infections and immunosuppressive therapy to the pancreatic cell degenerescence was studied in vitro. Results obtained showed that disseminated LPS released by recurrent infections could target pancreatic exocrine cells, leading to the formation of membrane microparticles that are deleterious for endocrine cell survival and function. In this intercellular cross-talk, CFTR is a critical mediator for the severity of the MP-delivered signals and for the pancreatic cell response to inflammation, also participating to the balance of insulin secretion of endocrine cells. Furthermore, data evidenced that long-term administration of immunosuppressive drugs in grafted patients may differently induce apoptosis in a mitochondrial-dependent fashion, possibly favoring cells to enter premature senescence, which is a metabolic state of cellular dysfunction.