Glutathione depletion inhibits amylase release in guinea pig pancreatic acini

Isolated guinea pig pancreatic acini were specifically depleted of glutathione by treatment with 2-cyclohexene-1-one (2-CHX-1). Untreated acini contained 4.3 ± 0.6 μg of glutathione per milligram protein. Incubation with 1 mM 2-CHX-1 for 5 min at 37°C depleted glutathione to 17% of control values; 5 mM 2-CHX-1 depleted glutathione to less than 4% of control values. Incubation with 2-CHX-1 also impaired the ability of the isolated acini to secrete amylase in response to stimulation with carbachol and the ionophore A23187. The depletion of glutathione and the inhibition of amylase secretion by 2-CHX-1 were both dose dependent and time dependent. Incubation of acini with 2 mM 2-CHX-1 for 15 min at 37°C reduced glutathione levels to 6.6% of control and reduced carbachol-stimulated amylase release to 63% of control. Higher doses of 2-CHX-1 or longer incubations resulted in greater depletion of glutathione and greater inhibition of carbachol-induced amylase release. These data indicate that specific depletion of glutathione impairs the ability of isolated acini to secrete amylase in response to physiological and pharmacologic stimuli and suggest that glutathione has a role in stimulus-secretion coupling in the exocrine pancreas.