Cholecystokinin activation of 70-kDa S6 kinase in exocrine pancreas

Cholecystokinin (CCK), a known mitogen for the exocrine pancreas, is shown to activate 70-kDa S6 kinase in isolated pancreatic acini. In this study, we examined the kinetics and cellular mechanisms of CCK-induced p70 S6 kinase activation in vivo and in vitro. Fasted mice were intraperitoneally injected with 0.01–10 g/kg CCK analoge cerulein. Cerulein caused a concentration-dependent activation of p70 S6 kinase, with the maximal effect at 1–10 g/kg. After 1 g/kg cerulein administration, the kinase activity was increased at 5 min, peaked at 10 min, and subsequently decreased. Cerulein also caused a rapid and transient activation of Src. Prior administration of the tyrosine kinase inhibitor herbimycin A compeletely inhibited cerulein-induced Src activation, while the inhibition of p70 S6 kinase activity was partial. Similar results were obtained with pancreatic acinar cell line AR42J cells. These results suggest that tyrosine kinases, including Src as a possible candidate, are partly implicated in the signaling pathway of CCK-induced p70 S6 kinase activation in the exocrine pancreas.